Moments Stolen
by CharmingRaven
Summary: To Happy Lowman, there are few things that matter more than his club; his mother, Anita, tops that list. One call from her has him dropping everything and riding down to Bakersfield. He doesn't want her to die alone but she doesn't want him to live alone once she's gone.
1. Chapter 1

Happy tapped his burner phone on the bar as he waited for his brothers to show up. They were late for church and he had somewhere he really needed to be. With each passing moment, his irritation was doubling. The prospect had already gotten the hint to steer clear of Happy if he wanted to keep his head facing the right way. He watched Happy from a distance, wondering what the man would do when the tardy brothers finally showed up. He knew for a fact that Happy had at least two fully loaded guns on him.

"Ready?" Tig asked as he walked into the clubhouse behind Juice. The prospect expected Happy to throw a barstool at least. Instead, he just grunted and walked into the room with the other two men. The prospect rolled his eyes and made his way behind the bar to clean up the shattered beer bottle that had been aimed at his head.

"Any other business?" Clay said, looking to each man that was seated around the table. Most stayed silent. Happy lifted his chin, silently asking to be heard. "Go ahead, Hap."

"Something is going on with my Ma. I have to get down to Bakersfield. Won't make it to the carnival thing tomorrow," Happy explained. Several men asked if his mother was okay but he could only shrug his shoulders. He didn't know. All he knew was that she needed him, she didn't need to say more.

"Of course, brother. Take whatever time you need." Clay knew nothing mattered more to Happy than his mother, not even the club. He respected that. With no other business, Clay adjourned the meeting. Happy bolted from his chair and made a beeline to his bike. He'd taken advantage of the delayed meeting to pack a couple changes of clothes and check his oil. His brothers watched as he peeled out of the parking lot, the front wheel of his motorcycle lifting a couple inches off the pavement.

The three hour ride to Bakersfield was some of the fastest miles Happy had ever ridden. Other cars on the road were flashes of color as he passed them on the left and right. He should have taken it slow, considering his history with local law enforcement, but they'd have to chase him to his mother's driveway before he stopped. The phone call from his mother was short. It started off like any other call with her asking him if he was having a good day and when he was going to come see her. He'd almost rushed off the phone, knowing he had a meeting to get to. There was something about her voice that bothered him. She sounded…off. His ma insisted everything was okay but he wasn't buying it. Finally, she'd asked him if he could come down next chance he got. He didn't ask any questions. He was going to be there if he had to pull the leather cut off his back and leave it in Charming.

When Happy pulled onto his mother's street, he saw an older, silver Honda with a busted taillight parked on the curb in front of her house. He didn't recognize the car. Happy parked his bike right behind the car and reached inside his cut as he approached the front door. His pistol's safety was off with a light click.

"Mijo, you scared me!" Anita said, pressing her palm into her chest. Happy flicked his safety back on and dropped his hand to his side. His mother didn't look worse than usual. If anything, she looked better. "What are you doing here?"

"Ma, you told me to come down here next chance I got. What's wrong?" Happy asked, hugging her carefully. She blinked with a small smile. "Ma."

"I just miss you, mijo. I didn't mean to scare you." She patted him on the arm and closed the front door. Happy wasn't buying it. He glanced around the living room, noticing the smell of fresh tamales coming from the kitchen. "Well, now that you're here you can stay for dinner and meet Charlie."

"Is that his car out front?" Happy growled. He'd been hearing about this Charlie guy for weeks. They'd met at some community center and his Ma couldn't stop going on about how sweet Charlie was to her. It irked him that some guy was spending so much time with her without being vetted by him first.

"His car?" His ma asked, pausing in the middle of the living room. Happy narrowed his eyes. She'd been sick for years and the doctors said there would be good days and bad but he'd never seen her like this. She seemed confused. Despite all the chemotherapy and shit, she'd always kept her mind sharp. He worried that was starting to slip.

"Charlie. The dude you just told me was here." Happy tried to keep his frustration out of his voice. He knew that if her mind was starting to go, she couldn't help it. He was exhausted and worried. His mother laughed loudly and shook her head.

"Mijo, follow me." She was still laughing. Happy wasn't sure who or what was going to be in the kitchen. If his mother was really this confused, she could have some massive cat in there or something. God, he hated cats. "Charlie, I want you to meet my son, Happy."

Happy felt like someone had punched him in the chest as soon as he stepped through the doorway. The kitchen door swung closed behind him, smacking the back of his head with a loud clap. He barely even noticed. His undivided attention was on his mother's friend, Charlie.

"Um, hi." The woman's voice sounded just like he thought it would, silky and warm. Where he'd expected to find some wrinkly old man or oversized house cat stood a beautiful, smiling redhead with his mother's apron on over a tight tank top and black jeans. She was short, barely taller than his elderly mother who'd lost a couple inches to old age, with curves that reminded him of some of his favorite roads. He swallowed as her eyelashes closed over her rich, blue eyes. She'd only blinked but he swore it was in slow motion.

"Happy! Where are your manners." His mother smacked his arm, jolting him out of the trance the younger woman seemed to cast over him. He furrowed his brow and looked from his mother to the redhead.

"Hi." He watched her for recoil or a little shudder. Women only reacted to him in one of two ways. Either they avoided and feared him or they longed for him. Charlie didn't seem to do either. He watched her offer him a polite smile before turning her attention back to the tamales. His ma was standing to the side with a grin. It all clicked. She was fine, there was no sudden downturn with her health or harassing neighbors to deal with. She was trying to play matchmaker. While he appreciated her big heart and her taste in women for him, he didn't appreciate worrying or being pulled away from club business. He pulled his pack of cigarettes from his inner pocket and turned to the sliding back door. "I'm smoking."

"Really?" Charlie said, blinking at him and folding her arms across her chest. She motioned towards Happy's mother. "Your mother has cancer and you're just going to light up on the back porch?"

"It's a joint, doc." Happy snarled at her. She pursed her lips disapprovingly but didn't argue. He tried to ignore the way her full lips made his pants feel a little too tight between the legs. Once he'd taken a couple pulls from the joint, he started to relax. The last five hours had been absolute torture on his mind. He'd gone through almost every terrible scenario in his head since the phone call. His ma was okay, relatively speaking. That was what mattered.

After finishing his joint, Happy joined the two women in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator for a beer. His mother always kept a few of his favorites for when he would visit. He pulled the cap off with on of his rings and watched as the sly woman showed Charlie how to take the tamales out of the husk. It reminded him of when she'd tried to teach him.

"These are delicious, Charlie. Very good." Anita exclaimed after taking a couple bites of her dinner. The younger woman beamed and Happy noticed her cheeks starting to turn pink.

"I only followed your directions, Anita." Charlie's blush deepened as she noticed Happy staring at her.

"Happy?" He looked over at his ma and exaggerated his chewing. She scowled at him just like she did when he wasn't polite as a teenager.

"Thanks for the dinner that you cooked in my mother's house with groceries I paid for." Happy said, finishing his beer. Anita swatted his arm and pointed towards the kitchen. Charlie twisted her mouth and watched as the two stormed out of the dining room. She had told Anita it probably wasn't a good idea for her to try and set them up. Obviously, she'd been correct.

"Have you crashed that motorcycle and hit your head, son? That is no way to talk to my guest." Anita said, hitting Happy in the chest with an oven mitt. He opened the fridge and pulled out another beer. "She has been nothing but kind to me and you are being an ass."

"Ma, I doubled almost every speed limit getting down here after maybe two hours of sleep last night. I'm not in the mood to play nice with some stranger. Where did you even meet her?" Happy was irritated and sleep deprived, the effects of the joint long worn off. "She could be robbing you blind and you wouldn't even know it."

"Stop it. She is an angel." Anita put her hands on her hips and glared at her son. "She teaches yoga at the community center and volunteers her time helping the ladies in the neighborhood. Don't you start accusing anyone of being a criminal."

"Ma." Happy frowned, feeling the little stab she'd made at him. She scoffed and dropped her arms down to her side. "I'm sorry, alright? I need to get some sleep."

"Do I need to make the bed or are you taking the couch?" Anita asked. It was her own way of asking him how long he'd be staying. He stepped over to her and kissed the top of her forehead.

"I've got it, Ma. I know where the bed sheets are." He was going to stick around for a couple days and get more information on the redhead before leaving his mother alone with her again. She might trust her but he certainly had no reason to. Happy found Charlie still sitting at the table. Knowing his mother was probably listening from the kitchen, he sighed and apologized. "Sorry. The tamales were good."

"Are you taking Anita to her appointment tomorrow or can I plan on being here?" Charlie didn't accept his apology. He was an ass.

"Your taillight is busted." Happy stated. She blinked, still waiting on an answer to her question. When she didn't respond, he finally continued, "you don't need to drive my ma around with a busted light."

"You are something else. You apologize and then berate me for helping your mother? It's a shame you are nothing like the man she thinks you are." Charlie snapped. She knew the stupid taillight was out. If she had the money, she would have fixed it long ago. Charlie had too much going on to let some asshole knock her down even further.

"It's late." Happy growled. He considered telling her to see herself out of his mother's house but decided not to provoke his ma any further. Instead, he walked down the hall to his bedroom to put some distance between he and the infuriating woman.

"I'm sorry, dear. He isn't usually like that." Anita whispered to Charlie after joining her at the table for a glass of wine. The younger woman frowned, wishing she didn't have to disappoint the woman she'd come to care a great deal about. "He's just tired."

"Anita, I know you wanted to try and set us up but I just don't think we are a good match." Charlie crinkled her nose with a smile to try and soften the blow. Anita set her glass down and sighed.

"Maybe you are right. I just worry about him being alone once I'm gone." Charlie's shoulders sank, hating the idea of saying goodbye to a woman that reminded her so much of her own, late grandmother.

"He is pretty hot." Charlie admitted despite disliking everything that came out of his mouth. She always had a thing for tattoos and bad boys, even though her ex-husband was the exact opposite. Anita smiled and put her hand on top of Charlie's. "You need to get some sleep. Your appointment is early."

Once Charlie had finished cleaning up, against Anita's objections, she headed home and drew a hot bath. There was a good chance of rain the next day and she could already feel it in her knee and hip. Luckily, she didn't have a yoga class until the following day. While her bath bomb fizzed and filled the small bathroom with lavender, Charlie stepped out of her jeans and pulled off her tank top. The harsh light of the bathroom seemed to highlight her scars. She could almost ignore the one on her knee. It was the longer scar stretching from her under arm to the center of her abdomen that brought up the memories and regrets.

With a sigh, she lowered herself into the hot bath water. The lavender started to relax her and she stopped thinking about the scar. Before she could stop herself, she started thinking about Anita's son, Happy. She scoffed at his name, wondering if he'd ever lived up to it. He was so… harsh. The man Anita talked about sounded anything but. She bragged about how caring and kind he was. Maybe it was true once but the man Charlie had met seemed cold and callous. She couldn't understand why she had any interest in seeing him again, but she did. Maybe Anita had been right, maybe he was just tired from the trip from Charming.

"Ugh," she groaned, sliding down so her head was under the water.

Happy heard his mother's alarm clock going off and snuffed out the cigarette on the porch railing. Even though he'd barely slept the night before in Charming, he only managed to sleep about five hours. Once he finally felt like he could go back to sleep, it was almost time to get ready for his Ma's appointment. He hated going to appointments with her. The doctors never had anything decent to say, they just commented on how little time she had left. Happy had almost killed the doctor that first diagnosed her with cancer. His mother had no idea how long he had sat in the wood line behind the man's house, loaded pistol in hand.

"Mijo, do you want coffee?" Anita asked, poking her head outside. Happy nodded and she disappeared back into the kitchen. He followed with a large yawn. "Did you even sleep?"

"Yeah, ma. I got a few hours." He smiled. She pursed her lips and shook her head as she filled the coffee maker with water. "What's wrong?"

"I worry about you. Who is going to take care of you next year?" Happy clinched his teeth together and closed his eyes.

"You ain't going anywhere that soon. I don't care what some doctor says. I know you." He growled. Anita sighed and pulled him into a hug. Happy relaxed a little. "That why you're trying to set me up with the ginger? Think she'll do my laundry and cook for me?"

"No, sweetheart. She's a terrible cook. I had to fix the tamales twice while she wasn't looking." Anita said with a laugh. Happy chuckled and let a smile spread. "I do think she's a good match for you, mijo. She's tough but kind. She's also very beautiful."

"She's not bad." Happy teased. Anita rolled her eyes. "Go get ready. I'll take care of the coffee and bring the car out of the garage."

Happy waited for the coffee to finish brewing and turned the machine off. On his way to the garage, he lit up another cigarette. He couldn't get what his ma said out of his head. The doctors had given her a year to live almost two years ago. It was only a matter of time and there was nothing more he could do about it. The treatments had stopped doing their job. The cancer was starting to grow again.

"Put that thing out." Anita fussed. Happy did as she said and hurried to take the travel mugs from her. She only let him take one. "Stop fussing."

The doctor appointment didn't go well and Happy started to wonder if he'd been wrong about his mother's intentions with the phone call. Unbeknown to him, she had a full body scan the week before. The appointment was to go over the results. His knuckles paled as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. She didn't even seem surprised that the cancer had grown almost 25% in the last six months. On the other hand, Happy had excused himself to go puke in the bathroom as soon as the doctor explained the results

"You don't have to be scared, mijo. We knew this was coming." Anita said, pulling her son's hand from the steering wheel and holding it in her lap. He wouldn't look at her. He hadn't even turned her head in his direction since getting back in the car. "You've done everything you could."

"I know." He snapped, immediately regretting it. "I can't fix it, Ma."

"Oh, Happy. I know. I'm sorry." She squeezed his hand. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and pulled into the driveway. "When do you need to go back?"

"I'll stay through the weekend." Happy said, skirting the question. He knew Clay had wanted him to take care of something but it would have to wait. When he helped Anita out of the car, he started noticing small signs that she wasn't feeling well. Her steps were slower and seemed more deliberate, like she had to concentrate on walking. The dress she wore wasn't more than a couple months old and it was already a size or two too big on her. She refused his help inside, despite her shaking hands that struggled with the door key.

"Oh no." She sighed and held up a black wallet with silver studs along the edges. Happy raised his brow, waiting for an explanation. "Charlie must have left this last night. I hope she doesn't get pulled over on her way to get it. Poor girl can't afford to replace that light right now."

"I'll take it by her place." Happy wanted to go ride for a bit to clear his mind and he still needed to know more about the woman. Anita shook her head and waved his suggestion off. "Ma, it's fine. I need some air."

"Okay, mijo. You be nice this time." She warned. Happy rolled his eyes and took the wallet. "Happy."

"I'll be nice."

Charlie looked towards the door and groaned. She had just entered the middle of her yoga sequence and was in a super soldier pose. Against her better judgement, she called for whoever was at the door to come in. She assumed it was Anita's son after hearing a motorcycle approaching, but she couldn't be sure.

"Are you stuck?" Happy asked.

Instead of answering, Charlie moved on to her next pose. She could feel his eyes watching her closely. After four more poses, she crossed the room to turn off the Nirvana discography that she had been playing louder than her neighbors probably appreciated. When she turned back, Happy had walked a couple steps closer and was holding a black, studded wallet.

"My mom was worried you'd drive without your license and get busted for that taillight." Happy explained. Charlie blinked and took the wallet slowly. "I didn't go through it."

"Okay." Charlie doubted there was anything in it. Anita had won the wallet several weeks ago during a bingo game. "How did the appointment go?"

"You shouldn't keep your door unlocked. This neighborhood is shit." Happy deflected quickly, pushing a toothpick to the side of his mouth. Charlie put the wallet on her coffee table and motioned towards the kitchen.

"Do you want a beer?" She had been in enough group therapy to recognize the look that was written all over his face. Despite disliking him, she felt a need to make him feel better. "I have liquor."

"I'll take a beer." Happy shrugged. Charlie nodded and picked up a hooded sweater on her way into the kitchen. She hated that he was probably wondering what her scar was from. Had she expected company, she would have worn something more than a sports bra and leggings. Happy was sitting on her couch when she returned to the living room. He took the beer and downed half of it quickly. Charlie took a sip from her water bottle and studied his face. "Her treatments aren't slowing it down anymore."

"Oh." Charlie's shoulders fell and she looked up towards the cracked ceiling light. "How bad is it?"

"Stage 4. Wouldn't even give a timeframe this time." Happy finished his beer as tears started to fall down Charlie's cheeks. She felt like she was losing her own grandmother all over again. A sob escaped her chest and drew his attention to her.

"I'm sorry."

Happy could only watch as she bolted from the living room with tears streaming down her face. He usually hated when women cried but he was barely keeping it together himself. A door slammed and he rose from the couch. His mom would want him to go talk to her but he didn't know what to say. He barely knew the woman and didn't fully understand why she was so upset. It wasn't her mother. So, instead of following her down the hall, he went into the kitchen and helped himself to another beer. Looking for something else to think about as he started on the second bottle, he started walking around the living room. He noticed a few pictures of Charlie in a military uniform. There was one of her in a fighter jet and one of her with several other chicks in camo. He wondered if that scar on her stomach was the reason she wasn't still in the military.

"You're still here." Charlie said. Happy looked up and nodded. She sighed and sat down on the couch cushion next to him. "Anita won that wallet in bingo last month. It isn't mine."

"Of course it isn't." Happy sighed. "How did you two meet?"

"At the community center. She came to a senior yoga class." Charlie laughed at Happy's automatic look of disgust. "What? You don't think Anita can still do yoga?"

"I don't want to think about my ma twisted up like you were when I walked in." Happy greatly appreciated the show he'd gotten but thinking of his mother bending like that almost ruined the memory. Charlie laughed with a wide smile.

"It's senior yoga. Most of the poses were seated, don't worry." Charlie giggled as he shook his head. "Anyways, she was waiting for the bus after class and we started talking. She reminds me a lot of my grandmother."

"Your grandmother was a hardheaded Spanish woman?" Happy didn't believe that for a minute. Her skin was practically porcelain. She shook her head.

"No, Gran was Dutch but she was still hardheaded. She talks about you a lot." Charlie made eye contact with Happy just as his phone started vibrating. He checked the screen and stood up.

"Hey brother," He walked out the front door and lit a cigarette, "did you get my message?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Hap. Clay said not to worry about it and to take as much time as you need. You alright?" Jax asked. Happy blew out a long line of smoke and shook his head.

"Nah, it's bad. I'm gonna try and set some home health shit up before I come back." Happy knew it wasn't going to be cheap but he didn't care. He was going to make sure she had everything he could give her. "I'll call you when I know more."

"Alright, bro." Jax said before Happy closed the phone. He was already tired of talking about his mom's cancer and it was just the beginning. Charlie was smoking pot from a water pipe when Happy walked back inside. He shook his head.

"Weren't you bitching at me for smoking?" He asked. She offered him a hit but he shook his head. He wasn't going to mix pot and beer when he still wanted to get some miles in on the bike. As she stood up and set the pipe on the table, he looked her body over again. She was short and more muscular than he usually liked but something kept her from looking bulky, probably the yoga. "Give me your phone."

"What? Why?" Charlie coughed.

"I'm putting my number in it so you can call me if something happens with my mom." Happy explained, hand held out for the phone. She pursed her lips and handed it over. "I'm going to get a nurse or something to stay with her but I don't trust paid help."

"She's not going to like that." Charlie said. Happy nodded, knowing she was right. He called his phone and saved her phone number. "I've been taking her to appointments and stuff."

"Yeah?" Happy was actually starting to like his mother's friend. "She's gonna need a nurse or something though."

"Maybe just talk to her about it before you start making calls, okay?" Charlie swallowed hard when he scowled. "She's very proud, Happy. I just don't think she'd want to be surprised with that."

"She'll have to get over it. I'm not putting her in some home." He snapped. Charlie frowned and slowly approached him. "What are you doing?"

"Deciding if hugging you would get me stabbed." Charlie admitted, looking at the large knife hanging off his belt. He grunted as she wrapped her arms around his torso. The top of her head barely came up to his shoulder. The way her petite body pressed against him almost took his mind off the dark cloud hanging over him. He considered pushing his luck."You're hating this, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't be so bad without clothes, girl." Happy smirked as she dropped her arms and stepped back with a scowl. It looked like the open road would have to do instead. "What? Ma thinks we'd be good together. You can show me some more yoga."

"You're an ass." Charlie laughed. He shrugged and straightened his leather cut. "Be careful out there, it's going to rain later."

"I'll be fine." Happy took his key out of his front pocket and paused. "If I don't see you before I leave, thanks."

"Sorry, what? Did you just say something nice?" Charlie teased. Happy rolled his eyes and walked out to his bike.

**Thank you for reading and giving this a chance! It's been a while since I've written but rewatching the show and some personal things have drawn me back in. Let me know what you think. The title is inspired by the song Lost by Dermot Kennedey**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Happy stayed in Bakersfield for four more days after getting the results from his mother's latest scans. While he fixed a few things around the house that she'd been nagging him about for the past six to twelve months, his main goal was getting around the clock care set up for her. Charlie was right, his mother was livid when she found out he was getting a nurse to stay with her. He agreed that she was doing okay by herself but that was probably going to change. They finally compromised and Happy agreed to hold off on the in home nurse if she would be honest with him about how she was feeling. He'd also talked to Charlie and made her promise to keep him informed, no matter what his mother told her not to tell him.

"You sure about this?" Jax said after they killed the rumbling engines of their bikes. Happy took his helmet off and nodded. He needed to get back to work and find some kind of normal. The job had been put off long enough. "He's in room 16."

They transitioned into the truck with the prospect and rode a couple miles up the road. Once the truck pulled off, Happy pulled his hood over his head and led the way up the stairs of the small, dingy motel. His footsteps were almost silent. Jax crossed the doorway and gave Happy a nod. He took a pick out of his back pocket and unlocked the door quickly. The target was sound asleep and butt naked. Happy and Jax entered the room and closed the door softly. The man snored and rolled over to his back, exposing his family jewels.

"Let's get this done." Jax gagged. Happy chuckled silently and tugged the black bandanna up to cover his face from his eyes down. He covered the man's mouth with his leather gloved hand and pressed the barrel of his gun to his sternum.

"Make a sound or try and fight, I'll shoot your dick off." Happy rasped. Jax picked up a pair of jeans from the empty bed and threw them at the man. "We're going for a ride."

"I'm not going..." he stopped when Happy cocked his head to the side and aimed the gun a little lower. Jax peeked outside the window and saw the prospect flash the truck lights. He was right on time.

Once they got the man into the truck, Happy directed the prospect to drive out towards Chigger Woods. He knew the layout of the land well and had pre-dug a decent grave. The man started pleading and begging them to let him go.

"I can get you money. You don't have to do this, okay? Just take the money and go to Mexico or something. I won't tell anyone." Happy cracked his neck and slowly turned his head to look at the man. He was a piece of shit. Just over a year ago, the guys started going to the prick's strip club. Tig and Juice hooked up with a couple of the girls and started finding out everything else the piece of shit was into. The strip club was just a cover for some human trafficking shit. When Clay confronted him about it, the prick threatened to rat to the cops about Tig hooking up with some jailbait. The club voted and decided to take care of the threat and the human trafficking problem for good.

"Here. Start digging." Happy tossed a shovel to the man once they'd reached the hole he'd dug. The man blinked and looked from the shovel to the hole and back to Happy. He gripped the shovel like a bat. Happy grinned as the prospect drew his gun. "Let him try, kid."

The man swung the shovel wildly. Happy dodged it and drug his knife across the man's stomach. He howled in agony but there was no one around for miles. The prospect was getting nervous and Happy knew he wouldn't get to keep having fun for long. His phone vibrated in his pocket, dividing his attention just long enough to open the window for the man to swing the shovel at his head. Happy was able to deflect it with his arm but got a nasty gash from it. He pulled his Glock and put three rounds into the man's chest.

"Yeah?" Happy answered the phone and cradled it between his ear and shoulder. He motioned for the prospect to start burying the body. His ears were still ringing from the gunshots.

"Are you busy?" It was Charlie. Happy stepped away from the shallow grave and took the bandanna off his neck. His arm was bleeding pretty badly, so he pressed the bandanna against the cut to try and slow it down.

"Nah, what's up?" Happy had talked to his mother earlier in the day and she sounded fine. He wouldn't be too worried but it was well after midnight and it wasn't like Charlie to call that late. "Did something happen?"

"What? No, sorry." Charlie giggled a little and Happy realized she was drunk. He smirked and stepped a little further away from the prospect. "I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Yeah? You needed to check on me at about 2 in the morning?" Happy growled. Charlie groaned and he knew he was right. "You a little drunk, red?"

"Ugh. My ex called me that." Charlie grumbled. Happy shook his head and tied the bandanna around his arm. He hissed through his teeth. "What's wrong?"

"Just a scratch. I gotta go, girl. Go to bed." Happy looked at his arm and gritted his teeth. He was going to need some stitches.

"You can't tell me what to do." Charlie fussed. Happy was about to snap at her for calling him, but then she giggled again. "I was going to bed anyways but not because you told me. Goodnight, ass."

"Goodnight." Happy smiled and dropped the phone back in his cut. The prospect wasn't making much progress and his arm wasn't getting any better out there in the middle of the woods. "Give me the keys."

"You're leaving me out here?"

"I'm bleeding. You'll be fine. I might send someone back for you later." Happy's head was starting to feel light and his sleeve was soaked with blood. He knew the smart thing to do was to lead the guy to the grave and shoot him. The shit with his mom had him all twisted up and looking for a fight though. It was a dumb move. He called Jax on his way to the clubhouse and asked if Tara could stitch him up when he got there.

"Happy, what happened?" Tara asked, hissing at the wound. He drank tequila straight from the bottle and grunted. She knew he wouldn't tell her. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Hour or so." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked to see what time Charlie had called. "Hour and ten minutes."

"It's pretty deep. I would feel better if I could put some internal stitches in but I don't have any." Tara said, pouring antiseptic into the wound. Happy gripped the tequila bottle tightly and glared at her. "I'm sorry to hear about your mom."

"Thanks." Happy growled. He didn't want to think or talk about his mother. As Tara started stitching him up, he drank the rest of the tequila. He ended up with twenty-three stitches and strict orders to stay out of fights and water for the next ten days.

"If I get you antibiotics, will you take them?" Tara asked as Happy stood up. She was shocked that the blood loss and bottle of tequila didn't send him stumbling around. He nodded. "Okay, how much do you weigh?"

"185." He grabbed the arm of a sleepy looking croweater and looked at Tara. "Anything else, doc?"

When she shook her head, Happy left the room with the blonde croweater in tow. She smiled up at him once they were in the clubhouse apartment. He had been with her before but never bothered to get her name. She was a little too skinny for his liking and her tits were fake but she didn't talk too much. He let her take his jeans off, amused that she didn't even ask question about the blood and dirt. As she took his dick into her mouth, he leaned back against the dresser. Her long nails raked across his abs and he closed his eyes. Happy found himself thinking about the frustrating redhead that had called him during the job. He could have been mad that the call distracted him but her drunk giggle made him smile. He imagined her toned body pressed against him and remembered the way she stretched and twisted as she did her yoga in front of him. He emptied himself into the croweater's mouth and motioned for her to leave.

Charlie rolled over and groaned at the sight of the man in her bed. She remembered going on the date and drinking a lot but not waking up alone was a surprise. Her hair was sweaty and stuck to her forehead but she'd slept too late to take a shower. She needed to get over to Anita's so they could go to the grocery store. Charlie rushed out of the bed and grabbed fresh clothes before kicking the foot of her bed partner. He barely stirred.

"Dude, get up and get out." Charlie snapped. She bounced up and down to get her jeans over her thighs, wishing someone made clothes for girls with muscles and smaller waists. She watched the guy get out of her bed and racked her brain for a reason she hooked up with him. He was short, maybe only a couple inches taller than him. It wasn't necessarily his height that turned her off now but the slouchy way he stood. She rolled her eyes and cursed her drunk self for making poor choices. "If I leave are you going to rob me or just leave?"

"I'm a lawyer." He sounded offended. Charlie shrugged and double tapped her call button to call Anita and let her know she was running late.

"-ello?" She pulled the phone away from her ear and saw that she had called Happy instead. She swallowed hard, completely blanking on calling him last night. She panicked and ended the call, tossing the phone on the bed. Of course, her phone started ringing mid air. She groaned and answered it apprehensively. "Charlie?"

"Sorry, I was trying to call your mom." She said, hoping he would just say okay and hang up. He sounded sleepy and it was kind of sexy.

"That who you were calling last night?" Charlie groaned. So they had talked last night. How much did she actually drink? "You even remember that?"

"No?" She laughed, pulling her sneakers on.

"Do you know where my tie is? It's silk." Tony 'the lawyer' asked. Charlie winced, hoping Happy hadn't heard the man. She wasn't sure why it mattered but she didn't want him to know she had a guy there. She pointed towards the couch.

"Who was that?" Happy's voice had changed harshly. Charlie sighed and stood up, grabbing her keys off the counter.

"A guy, why? I was trying to call your mom. I have to go." Charlie didn't wait for him to respond and ended the call. She didn't owe him an explanation nor was it any of his business who's company she kept. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun as she got into her car.

Anita walked outside to meet Charlie before she even got out of the car. As usual, she was dressed to impress, even though she was just going to the local grocery store. Her bright green blazer brightened up her black dress and complimented her polka dotted shoes. Charlie's own grandmother would have worn something similar to church. Anita smiled as she got to the car but her eyes weren't bright like they normally were. Charlie closed the car door and walked back to the drivers side, hoping she was just a little tired.

"Sorry I'm late, Anita. I had a long night." Charlie didn't bother lying about it but she wasn't going to go into detail if she didn't have to. Anita just nodded with a smile. "I accidentally called Happy this morning."

"Good. You should call him more." The older woman perked up a little at the news. Charlie chuckled and slowed to a stop at the intersection. She turned her blinker on, the rapid click of the indicator reminding her that her taillight was still busted. "How is he?"

"I think I woke him up. He sounded okay though." Charlie shrugged. Anita started telling her a story about how grumpy Happy could be in the mornings. He had tried to throw the door shut and ended up falling out into the hallway in front of his aunt and cousin. He was only eight or ten but was extremely embarrassed because he was just in a pair of boxers. Charlie wondered what a child version of Happy would have been like.

"I only need a few things today," Anita said. Charlie parked the car and hurried to the passenger side to help her out of the seat. Anita swatted her hands away. "Don't you start fussing over me like my son."

"Come on, Anita. You're old. You've earned some fussing over." Charlie teased. Anita shook her cane at the laughing redhead. The two walked into the store, Charlie pushing the shopping cart and Anita handling the shopping list as usual. They chatted about local gossip and Charlie's latest date while they walked around the store. After ten or fifteen minutes, Charlie started noticing Anita slowing down. She adjusted her own walking speed to keep from leaving her behind. When she started hearing some wheezing when Anita inhaled, Charlie stopped.

"I can handle the rest of the list. You should take a seat up front or in the car." Charlie's normally light tone was serious. She was worried. As she expected, Anita shook her head stubbornly. "Don't be stubborn. You're going to hurt yourself if you don't rest."

"I'm fine. Quit standing here talking or the milk is going to warm." Anita snapped. Charlie blinked, surprised by her friend's anger. She clinched her teeth together and pointed back towards the registers.

"Then meet me at the register. I'll grab the eggs and bread." Charlie hoped she would listen to reason. Anita huffed and turned away without a word. Charlie watched the way her normal gait had changed to a shuffle. It made her nervous to go in different directions but it seemed the lesser of the two evils. She didn't know what she would do if Anita fell or something worse before they got to the register. With the worst case scenarios weighing heavy on her mind, Charlie rushed to finish off the list.

"Here." Anita held her wallet out to Charlie. She had made it to the register safely and had taken a seat like Charlie originally suggested. She seemed exhausted. The cashier smiled and started scanning and bagging items. "I don't want my bread on top of the eggs."

"I know, Mrs. Lowman," The young girl said sweetly, continuing to scan items. She looked at Charlie with a little frown. "She's not doing too good is she?"

"No, not really," Charlie said quietly. She knew Anita wouldn't be able to hear them from her seat several yards away. Anita refused help out to the car, insisting she had only taken a seat because Charlie had taken so long. The two women didn't speak until a police car turned their lights on behind Charlie's car. They were less than a mile from Anita's house. "God damnit."

"Watch your mouth." Anita fussed. Charlie sighed and reached over to open the glovebox. Anita looked from the gun laying in the glovebox to the nervous looking redhead. Charlie grabbed her insurance and registration before slamming the glovebox closed.

"Good afternoon, ladies. I'm Officer Jones with Bakersfield Police. Do you know why I stopped you?" The officer looked to be a few years younger than Charlie. She turned her body towards him and shook her head with an innocent frown. "Your right tail light is busted."

"What? Oh no." Charlie brought her palm to her forehead and inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, officer. I'll get that fixed as soon as possible. I appreciate you letting me know."

"We have perishables in the car, son." Anita said, leaning forward. Charlie closed her eyes, wishing she hadn't tried to rush him.

"I understand, ma'am. Let me just run this information real quick and we can try and get you two on your way." Officer Jones smiled and walked back to his patrol car. Charlie slouched in her seat and looked over at the older woman.

"Please don't rush him when he gets back. I know you're tired but I can't afford a ticket." Charlie pleaded. Anita scowled.

"I'm not tired. It's just the pollen. My allergies are bothering me." Anita snapped. Charlie decided she was going to call Happy after she got home. Anita wasn't acting like herself. It wasn't just the fatigue. She had never snapped at Charlie like that before. She knew from experience that medications could affect moods and Anita was on a handful of new medications.

"Here you go, Charlotte. Just make sure to get that taillight fixed. I had to put a warning in the system so if it isn't fixed soon and you get pulled over again, you may get a citation," The officer handed the paperwork back along with her driver license. She smiled, despite being called Charlotte. Few people had called her that since she was a little girl. With the warning in hand, Charlie and Anita continued on their way. Anita remained silent during the drive and while Charlie helped put groceries away. The longer the silence went on, the more Charlie worried.

"Do you want to play some cards or dominoes?" Charlie suggested happily. Anita shook her head and lowered herself into the recliner. Charlie was going to let herself out when she noticed tears rolling down Anita's cheeks. Dropping her handbag on the floor, Charlie slowly approached her. "Talk to me, please."

"I'm not ready to die," Anita sighed. Charlie frowned. "Years I've been fighting this cancer and it's finally catching up with me."

"It isn't over yet. You're a stubborn old lady, Anita. Don't give up," Charlie tried to sound optimistic. She walked over to the loveseat and took a seat. "I'm here for you, okay?"

"Go on home, child. I'm not dying tonight." Anita broke the silence after a few minutes. "I'm tired."

"Okay. You know I don't mind staying if-" Charlie paused as Anita set her with a scowl. "Okay. I'll go."

Once her car door was closed, Charlie dug her phone out of her bag and called Happy. She didn't even bother starting the car as the phone rang. It wasn't a long drive to her house but there was a good chance she'd start crying soon and her mascara wasn't waterproof. The last thing she needed was a car wreck caused by stinging, mascara filled eyes. She was about to end the call when Happy finally answered the phone.

"Three calls in one day?" Happy sounded much more awake and irritable. She could hear loud music and power tools in the background. Charlie started feeling heavy pressure on her chest. She couldn't bring herself to speak. "Charlie? What's wrong?"

Happy rolled out from under the car he was working on and tossed the wrench into the toolbox as he walked towards the office. His blood was starting to run cold as he imagined all the bad things he could hear from Charlie. He swung the office door open, causing Gemma and Tara to jump a little. Charlie still hadn't said a word but he could hear her breathing heavily. Happy nodded towards the parking lot.

"Can you give me a minute?" He asked Gemma. She motioned for Tara to follow her quickly as Happy mouthed a silent 'thanks'. "Charlie, talk."

"She's getting worse, Happy. I knew she would but I thought it would take a while. It's like the test results broke her." Charlie was speaking quickly and he felt like she was close to a panic attack. He barely knew anything about the woman but she never struck him as overly dramatic.

"Hey, stop," She continued breathing faster and faster. "Charlie. Stop!"

His loud demand seemed to snap her out of it long enough to let her explain what had happened. He sat on the desk and hung his head as she told him what Anita had said once they got back from the grocery store. It sounded like Charlie was right. The doctor's bad news seemed to get to his mom and start eating away at her along with the cancer. His right hand started stinging and he realized the edge of the desk was starting to cut into his skin. Happy hadn't noticed he'd been squeezing it that tightly.

"I'll call the nurse and have her go over there tonight. I'll be down tomorrow," Happy interrupted Charlie. She had been rambling ever since she started talking. "Don't let her see you like this, got it?"

"Yeah. No. I know. I'm in my car," Charlie stammered. Happy sighed, feeling some kind of need to comfort her. That feeling frustrated him. It wasn't his job to comfort someone else when his mother was dying. It had just been him and his ma for years. A stranger like Charlie didn't have a right to be upset. He knew his ma would be mad if he yelled at her, so he just ended the call and stormed out of the office. Gemma snuffed her cigarette out and started towards him. He didn't stop to talk. He was done talking to emotional women.

"Hap! Wait up. I just finished printing all this on that woman you asked me about," Juice slid to a stop as Happy abruptly stopped in front of him. He took a step back, uncomfortable being that close to the Tacoma Killer. Happy was intimidating in the best mood and he looked livid. Juice offered the folder to him nervously.

"What's in here?" Happy asked, flipping through the pages quickly. Juice listed off several things including banking statements, military record and criminal record. Happy nodded and folded it up, stuffing it in his cut. "Have you seen Clay?"

"He and Tig are on the way to Indian River. Jax is in the clubhouse." Juice said quickly. Happy nodded and continued towards the clubhouse. As a Nomad member, he wasn't obligated to let anyone but Quinn know that he was going to be off the road for a while; but, since he primarily operated out of Charming, he thought Clay or Jax should know. He found the charter's VP sitting at the large, redwood table.

"What's up?" Jax looked up from a pile of papers as Happy entered the room.

"My mom is getting worse faster than I thought. I'm going to take some time off the road and stay with her until-" the thought got stuck in his throat "-things change."

"I'm sorry, bro." Jax stood up and pulled Happy into a hug. Happy clapped him on the back appreciatively. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I appreciate it. I'm leaving in the morning. Gotta take care of a couple things." Happy wasn't comfortable leaving until he made sure the prospect hadn't butchered the clean up from the night before. Happy paused at the door. "You know if we've got a spare taillight for a '95 Accord?"

"We've got an Accord sitting on the back-lot. Owner never claimed it so take what you need, brother." Jax sat back down at the table and nodded. Happy started making a mental list of everything he needed to do in the next twelve hours. He hadn't taken more than a week off the road since he got out of prison six years ago and it was already making him anxious.

**Thank you each for your reviews, follows and favorites! It makes me feel like I'm doing something right. I would love to hear your thoughts about this chapter! I am trying to keep my writing about four chapters ahead of posts, so I hope to be posting at least once, maybe twice a week.**


	3. Chapter 3

"You have to eat more than that." Happy said, stabbing the chicken on his plate with a fork. Anita scowled at him and folded her arms. Charlie swallowed a drink of water, waiting for the argument to heat up. Happy had returned to Bakersfield over two weeks ago and refused to leave, despite Anita telling him to numerous times. Her health was still declining but a little less rapidly. The last doctor appointment showed that she'd lost five pounds and she was officially under weight for her height; it seemed to be something Happy thought he could control.

"I taught you how to eat. Don't you sit there and try to tell me how much to eat," Anita said. Charlie watched Happy's eyes narrow. "You either need to get on that bike and go back on the road or remember who's home you're in."

"Ma, if you don't eat you're going to get worse." Happy sighed. Charlie was surprised. Normally, he really got fired up when Anita mentioned him leaving. Charlie glanced at the woman, wondering what was coming next. She'd been present at most dinners since Happy got back, much to his frustration. If she had the choice, she would have eaten at home but Anita wanted her there.

"You two go somewhere tonight. I want my house to myself for at least a few hours," Anita told them. Happy sighed and ran his ringed hand down his face. Charlie closed her eyes, avoiding the conversation for as long as possible. "Give me that bit of peace and I'll finish this rubber chicken."

"I asked you how long to cook it for but-" Happy stopped and growled. "Fine. Eat and we'll leave for a while."

"Thank you." Anita seemed to relax a little as Charlie watched her start eating again. She was right, Happy had overcooked the chicken, but he'd tried. After everyone ate their fill, including Anita, Charlie cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. It was their usual routine. She overheard Anita talking to Happy as she searched for the detergent.

"I love you, mijo but you can't stop living just because I'm nearing the end." Charlie swallowed hard, wishing she couldn't hear her. "Your club has been your family, son. Don't quit because of me."

"Ma, I'm fine. We talked about this when I went Nomad. I can take time away when I need to. Just let me worry about you for now, okay?" Happy rarely talked about the club around Charlie but she noticed he still wore his vest anytime he left Anita's house. "Charlie, hurry up."

"Shut up." Charlie grumbled as she picked up her sweater off the back of her dining chair. Happy rolled his eyes and kissed the top of Anita's head. "Call me if you need us, okay?"

"Don't you start, Charlotte." Charlie noticed her wink and couldn't help but smile a little. Happy opened the front door and waited for her to follow him.

"So, where to?" Charlie asked, putting her sweater on to block some of the autumn wind. Happy shook his head and took a cigarette out of his pack. "No, what?"

"I'm going for a ride. You can go home." Happy grumbled. Charlie sighed loudly and tossed her hands up. "I'm here for my mom, girl, not you."

"I didn't think you were here for me! That doesn't mean you have to be an ass." She balled her hands into fists. "You make no sense. One day you're nice and treat me like a friend. Then you act like I'm just some slut begging for your dick."

"I put up with you because my mom likes you." Happy said, blowing cigarette smoke towards her. She scoffed.

"Yeah? Then why did you fix my taillight?" She pursed her lips as Happy scowled. "Yeah, I saw you that night in my driveway. If you hated me you wouldn't have done that."

"Get on the bike." Happy snapped after several silent minutes. Charlie blinked, confused by his sudden demand and wondering why he thought she would ride with him. "I'm not offering again."

"Fine." Charlie walked over to his bike and climbed on. When he finished his cigarette, he flicked the butte into the road and sat in front of her. It had been years since Charlie had ridden a motorcycle and she had never been a passenger on one. Her stomach flipped with nerves. She had seen Happy ride before, so she wrapped her arms around him tightly. His body relaxed with a chuckle.

"I've got to breathe, girl. I won't go too fast." Happy assured her. Charlie loosened her grip a little and took a deep breath. Happy was true to his word and took off at a moderate speed, only speeding up once he got to the highway. She held on a little tighter as they started up into the mountains. Happy took his left hand off his handle bar and rubbed her hand. She felt herself start to relax and even smiled a little. They stopped at a scenic overlook and Happy gave her a hand off the bike.

"This is beautiful." Charlie said, looking out over the city. She'd been through the mountain pass numerous times but never actually stopped to take a look. Happy glanced in the opposite direction and could just make out what looked to be a runway in the distance.

"Why didn't you go back to Tennessee after you got discharged?" Happy asked. Charlie turned to look at him and frowned. She hadn't talked to anyone about her time in the service, not even Anita.

"How do you know about that?" She looked out towards Bakersfield, avoiding looking back towards the Air Force base behind her. She heard his heavy boots take a few steps towards her on the loose gravel. "My family lives in San Diego now. I don't really have a reason to go back."

"Then why not move to San Diego?" Happy asked. Charlie was starting to get annoyed. She didn't appreciate him looking into her past instead of just asking her.

"I liked Bakersfield when I was stationed at Edwards." She sighed and turned back to him. "Why couldn't you just talk to me instead of pulling my records or some shit. God, who even does that?"

"I needed to know I could trust you with my mother." Happy shrugged. She shook her head and glanced towards the runway that Happy had noticed.

"So, you know about the crash?" Charlie felt a chill, despite her sweater.

"Yeah, well, I know what wasn't redacted." Happy's voice was softer than she could remember hearing before. "Is that what your scar is from?"

"Scars. Yeah." Charlie corrected him. "Can we just talk about something else?"

"Like what?" Happy lit a cigarette and offered her the pack. She shook her head. "Why don't you have an accent?"

"I was a military brat for most of my childhood. My mom was from Tennessee so we moved there after Dad retired. Luckily it was too late for me to get an accent." Charlie laughed. She remembered having a hard time understanding some of her cousins and distant relatives because of their southern drawls. A breeze blew past them and Charlie rubbed her arms to try and stop the cold. Happy walked back to his bike and pulled a hooded sweatshirt out of a saddle bag. "You don't have to do that."

"Just make sure I get it back." Happy said, watching her pull the sweatshirt over her head. The bottom was just a couple inches above her knees and it made her look even smaller than usual. "You look like a kid."

"I'm not." Charlie laughed when he rolled his eyes. "How old do you think I am?"

"I know how old you are." Happy replied. Charlie sighed, she didn't mind him knowing her age, it was how. "You look better than some twenty-one year olds I know."

"Yeah? You know their age by stealing their personal information to?" She snapped, feeling exposed. Happy flicked his cigarette away as he shook his head.

"They aren't my problem."

"Neither am I." Charlie scoffed. She was so torn about Happy and wondered if the only reason she put up with him was Anita. He had an uncanny ability to get under her skin. Still, she found herself drawn to him. Maybe she just needed to sleep with him and get it out of her system. The ridiculous thought caused her to chuckle out loud.

"What?" Happy asked. He was searching her face, no doubt wondering if she was going mad. She shook her head and remained silent. "I only had you looked into because my mother tends to trust people too easily."

"You could have just talked to me, Happy. Now you know everything and I barely know anything about you." She sighed and realized that was what she was really upset about. "I don't have anything to hide."

"I do." He stated matter of factually. Charlie frowned up at him, wondering what he meant. She was curious and somewhat drawn further in by the mystery. "Let's head back."

"Okay." Charlie felt disappointed as she climbed onto the back of the motorcycle. She wanted to know more. What did he think he needed to hide? Happy rode a little faster than he had on their way out of town, so she held on a little tighter. Luckily, his sweater kept her from getting too cold.

"You can bring it by whenever." Happy said as Charlie started to take his sweater off. She smiled and dropped her hands to her side.

"Thanks for tonight." Charlie said, standing perfectly still in front of her car. Happy was only a couple feet away and she felt her heartbeat start to pick up. Her next words to him came out before she found the good sense to stop them. "I'm not doing anything tomorrow if you want to get a drink or something."

"Are you trying to ask me to go on a date with you?" Happy smirked. Charlie's cheeks started turning red and she nervously pushed her hair behind her ear. She wished she had just said goodnight and gotten in her car. He took a step towards her and leaned closer. "I'm not actually the type of guy my ma would want you to be with, girl."

"Why don't you let me decide what I want?" Charlie's heart was pounding. Happy pushed his toothpick around with his tongue a couple times before pulling away. With a sigh, he looked towards his mother's house.

"I don't have time for this. As soon as she's better I've got to get back on the road." Happy seemed to shut down in front of her eyes. She frowned, wondering if he really expected her to get better at this point. His words brought her back to reality and she pulled his sweater off over her head. She handed it to him and walked to her car door. He lit another cigarette and looked towards her, "Be careful."

"Okay." Charlie was so embarrassed. She should have known better than to ask him to go out for drinks, especially with everything he was going through. Anita must have really gotten in her head with all those silly ideas of she and Happy being together. She started the car and headed home. The low gas indicator lit up when she stopped at the end of the street. "Shit."

Charlie hated stopping for gas at night but the fuel gauge was less than reliable. It was stop or risk running out of gas on the way home. She took a right instead of her normal left and started looking for an open gas station.

"Happy! Get up!" Anita's shrill scream woke Happy up and sent a jolt through him. He grabbed his pistol out of the holster hanging on the back of his door and rushed to his mother, preparing for whatever may be scaring her. Her cheeks were damp with tears and almost all of the color was out of her face. Her hand covered her mouth as she stared at the television.

"What?" Happy didn't understand what was going on. The news was just coming back on with an update on the weather. "Ma, what's wrong?"

"There!" She sobbed, pointing at the television. Happy glanced at it long enough to recognize the silver Honda behind the reporter. He grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.

"Thanks, Trisha. I'm standing here where late last night, a young woman was brutally beaten and robbed while getting gas. Just minutes ago, we spoke to the clerk who recalled seeing the woman giving the suspects her handbag. He started dialing 911. He hoped the men would run with the bag but as he spoke to the operator the men started assaulting her. When police arrived on scene, the suspects were gone. They called for an ambulance and started tending to the woman's wounds. The clerk said she appeared to be unconscious when the ambulance left the scene. We'll have more for you as this story continues to develop." Happy turned the television off and pulled his mother into his arms. She sobbed into the crook of his neck as Happy's anger increased ten-fold.

"Ma, look at me. I'm going to have the nurse come over and I'll go see her, okay?" Happy needed to know she was okay but he couldn't leave his mom alone, not after she had seen that news story.

"I'm going with you." She said sternly. Happy shook his head as he walked towards his room to get dressed and call the nurse. "She's my friend! You don't even like her!"

"Who told you that?" Happy stepped back into the living room, pulling a t-shirt over his head. She scowled and crossed her arms.

"You're never nice to her." She said. He shook his head, trying to resist getting into an argument. "Why didn't you take her home?"

"Damnit. Stop." Happy already felt guilty for not doing more to protect her. "You can't go to a hospital and catch something. I'll call you while I'm there."

"You go there and you come straight back, Happy." She slowly followed him into his room and grabbed his arm. "Don't go looking for trouble. Let the police do their job. Do you hear me?"

"Yeah, I heard you." Happy had no intentions to do as she said but he'd heard her. He noticed her watching him as he checked his firearms and holstered them, one under his cut and one in his waistband. She didn't look pleased.

The nurse didn't take long coming over. When Happy called her and explained why he needed to leave, she mentioned seeing the news story. Happy instructed her not to bring it up with his mom. She was upset enough and it couldn't be good for her heart. As he walked out of the front door, she yelled for him to come straight home, again.

Happy weaved in and out of traffic on his way down to the hospital. He knew the ambulance would have taken her downtown, it was the closest hospital to the gas station she'd stopped at. As he rode, he tried to straighten out all the feelings going through his head. Contrary to what he liked people to believe, he actually gave a damn sometimes; even if he wasn't a heart on his sleeve kind of guy like Juice or Opie. His feelings about Charlie were complicated, even without her falling victim to some thugs.

"I need to see Charlotte Dover." Happy told the nurse at the emergency room desk. She typed some information into the computer and informed him she'd been admitted to the intensive care unit. He memorized the directions she gave him and headed to the elevator. There was a police officer waiting there. Happy noticed him looking at the club colors on his back but the cop didn't say anything.

The elevator emptied before Happy and the officer stepped inside. He jammed the fourth floor button and leaned back against the rear wall, keeping his eyes on the officer who stood by the door.

Happy was quickly reminded of his hatred of hospitals as he caught a glimpse of an older woman hooked up to several machines. The intensive care unit was noticeably quieter than the emergency room but it seemed just as busy. He approached the nurse's desk and waited for one of them to notice him. Luckily, it didn't take long because his patience was wafer thin.

"I'm sorry, are you family?" The nurse asked after he asked to see Charlie. Happy explained the situation and how he knew her. "Sir, I'm very sorry but I can only allow immediate family in to her room. We can tell her you stopped by when she wakes up."  
"She's not awake yet?" Happy snapped, his patience breaking. The nurse swallowed hard and looked over Happy's shoulder. He was extremely aware of the police officer's continued presence behind him. "What's wrong with her?"

"Hey, brother, calm down." The officer said, putting his hand on Happy's shoulder. He shrugged his hand off and turned around. "There are federal laws about them telling you anything."

"You aren't my brother." Happy growled. "Tell me why you're in here and not looking for the thugs that robbed her?"

"We're working on it. I'm here to make sure they don't try to hurt her again." The officer glared at Happy.

"Looks to me like you're getting coffee and busting my balls." Happy was going to continue until he heard an alarm going off in a nearby room. His stomach flipped.

"Are you, erm, Happy?" Someone asked, sounding unsure of his name. He turned around to see an older nurse standing a few feet behind him. "Charlotte asked me to tell you to stop fussing and come see her."

"So she is awake?" He cut his eyes to the younger nurse at the desk. The older woman nodded and motioned for him to follow her. Happy huffed and walked into the room.

"Shit, girl." Happy was no stranger to violence and was very familiar with injuries from fights but seeing Charlie all busted up almost made him sick. Her left eye was swollen shut and her nose was obviously broken. As he stepped towards her, he noticed bruises on her knuckles and forearms. She'd tried to fight back or at least block some blows. "How you feeling?"

"High on morphine," She admitted. The normal softness to her voice was replaced with dry gravel. Happy sighed and walked a little closer. "How did you know I was here?"

"Ma saw your car on the television and then we saw the news report," Happy racked his brain for different ways her injuries could have been avoided. "Why'd you stop so late? You could have told me you needed gas."

"I can usually take care of myself," Charlie coughed. She winced and moved her hand to her side. "Is Anita okay?"

"She's upset but the nurse is with her." Happy sat down in the chair by her bed. "Are your parents headed up?"

"No. Did you call them?" He was surprised by her nervous reaction. When he shook his head, she seemed to relax a little. "I don't want to worry them."

"Just me, huh? I coulda told you funner ways to get my attention," Happy teased. Charlie laughed until she winced with pain. "Sorry."

"Oh? Did this get your head out of your ass?" Charlie asked. Happy took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "I know the timing is shit but at least stop acting like you don't care."

"I'm here, ain't I?" Happy missed the ease of hooking up with random croweaters and sweet butts on the road. He didn't have to worry about feelings, his or theirs. Charlie was different. "Who did this?"

"I don't know. There were three of them." Charlie winced as she moved around in the bed. "They were teenagers, maybe? I gave them what I had."

"I heard. Did anything else happen?" He muttered, uncomfortable with the weakness of her voice. Charlie frowned and picked at the edge of her blanket. She didn't look up when Happy leaned forward. He noticed her eyelashes were almost clear without the mascara she normally wore. She glanced up at him, the normal light and life in her blue eyes noticeably absent.

"One of them got handsy. I pushed him back and he tripped a little. He must have gotten embarrassed or didn't like being pushed around by a girl because that's when fists started flying. I don't remember much after that." Charlie looked away from him again.

"Handsy?" He growled. She lifted a shoulder and let it fall back down. "What did he look like?"

"Happy, stop. I don't need you to do something stupid trying to defend my honor or whatever. The cops have looked at the video from the gas station. Just let them do their job." Charlie glanced over at him but quickly looked away again. "I'm not weak."

"No one said you were." Happy agreed. She huffed and balled her hands into tight fists. He knew the IV in her hand would have stung at the tightening movement.

"I had combat and survival training. I shouldn't have even been in a plane if I couldn't handle a couple punk kids."

"Charlie. Don't do that. You were outnumbered." Happy took one of her hands, carefully avoiding her busted knuckles. She cut her eyes over towards him. "Feel up to talking to your best friend? She's expecting me to call her."

"Sure." Charlie's smile seemed forced but Happy took his phone out of his inner pocket anyways. "You aren't supposed to have that in here."

"The phone?" Happy asked, knowing she was referring to the gun hanging from the shoulder holster. She rolled her eyes as he handed her the ringing cellphone.

"Hey Anita." Happy leaned back in the chair as she talked to his mother. She seemed to relax after a couple minutes and he imagined his ma doing the same thing back home. He took advantage of her focusing on the phone call and looked her over. She was bruised and cut up in a few places but she was far from broken. Even if she didn't feel it in that moment, he could tell she was strong. Charlie assured Anita that she was okay several times before handing the phone back to Happy.

"You stay there as long as you need, mijo. I'm feeling okay." Anita said. He nodded and told her that he understood. After ending the call, Happy stood up.

"You need to get some rest, girl. I'll be back later." Happy pocketed his phone and looked down at the beautiful woman. "Need me to bring you anything?"

"No, I think I'm good. Thanks for coming by." Charlie said. Happy leaned down and kissed her forehead. She was smiling with pink cheeks when he pulled back. "Be careful."


	4. Chapter 4

Happy stopped his motorcycle and threw the kickstand down as he pulled his helmet off. It was mid-day, so the gas station was busy with people getting fuel or food in the small store. He wasn't there for either. He was there waiting for the pricks that beat Charlie to show back up. After leaving the hospital, he went straight to the gas station and talked the clerk into letting him watch the tapes from the robbery. Seeing it only made it harder to leave the investigation to the cops like Charlie had asked. It had been five days. He had been at the gas station every day. The police were nowhere to be found. They should have caught the bastards but he doubted they were even trying.

"Hello?" He didn't bother checking to see who was calling. His eyes continued scanning the parking lot.

"Hey Hap. How's your mom?" It was Kozik. Happy had heard from several of his brothers since taking time away to take care of her. They'd all asked about her and he'd told each of them the same thing, she had more bad days than good.

"Not good." Happy squinted to get a better look inside a Crown Victoria that had just pulled up to a gas pump. The man that got out of it was too old to be one of the three he was looking for. He sighed. "You need something?"

"Nah, just checking on you. I'm heading down to Barstow to see Annie, thought I might drop by and visit." Kozik said. Happy shook his head disapprovingly.

"Why are you still bothering with her? There's better looking bitches with less baggage a lot closer to Tacoma." Happy said, eyeing a Lexus that parked right in front of the station doors. "Stop by if you want, brother. Give my ma somebody else to yell at besides me. I gotta go."

Happy snapped his phone closed and started towards the gas station. He'd watched someone get out of the backseat that had the same dumb haircut as one of the guys on the video. The clerk looked up at Happy nervously, all but confirming his suspicion. He nodded towards the restroom. Happy didn't hesitate. He found the kid standing at a urinal with earphones in his ears, not paying any attention to his surroundings. Happy glanced under the stall doors to make sure no one else was in the restroom. It was empty, so he locked the door.

"Hey, move man." The guy finally noticed Happy when he turned to leave. Happy was standing in front of the locked door, one hand on the knife hanging off his belt. "What's your problem?"

"You hurt somebody I care about." Happy growled. As soon as he started rolling his eyes, Happy was on him. He shoved him against the tiled wall and pulled his knife, pressing the tip against the guys stomach. "I could kill you, easily."

"It wasn't my idea. I'm sorry." He was breathing rapidly and tears were starting to build up. Happy didn't care if it was his idea or not. "I didn't want to do it."

"You did." Happy felt his phone start vibrating against his chest. "Who was trying to push up on her?"

"Come on man. If I tell you shit, he'll kill me." His tears were falling down his cheeks and on to Happy's forearm now. He couldn't have been much older than fifteen. "Please."

"Give me a name or I'll kill you right now." Happy didn't like giving the kid a choice. Had Charlie's words not kept bouncing around in his head, he wouldn't be going so easy on him. "I'm not asking again."

"Toney. He goes by Little-T, alright? Let me go." The kid was sobbing loudly. Happy put his knife back in its sheathe and drew his fist back, punching the kid in the stomach and knocking the air out of him.

"If it was up to me, you'd be dead. Tell anyone about this and I'll find you again." Happy whispered into his ear before letting him fall down to the floor. He took the kid's wallet out of his back pocket and took a picture of his driver's license. After dropping it on the floor, he left the restroom, shaking his head at an older guy waiting to go in. "I wouldn't. Kid blew chunks everywhere."

"Damn children." The man swore, turning from the restroom. He followed Happy outside and they went their separate ways. Happy rode back to his mom's house before returning Charlie's call. She didn't answer. He was considering going to the hospital to check on her when Kozik stepped out of the house.

"Where's your bike?" Happy knew he was distracted but he wouldn't have missed a six hundred pound bike sitting in front of his ma's house. Kozik laughed and hugged Happy tightly.

"Parked it around back. Good to see you, man." Kozik was smiling brightly. "Your ma said you were out seeing some chick?"

"I wasn't," Happy stated. Kozik put his hands up innocently. "You should have told me you were already here."

"Where's the fun in that?" Kozik chuckled. "What's her name?"

"Don't worry about it." Happy growled, tapping his cigarette pack on the heel of his hand. Kozik had a shit eating grin on his face that was irritating him. He grunted as he lit a cigarette. "Charlie."

"Your ma said she's a ginger. I thought you avoided them cause they're loco." Kozik teased. Happy inhaled deeply and nodded.

"She's on the lower end of crazy." Happy would give Charlie that much. She was a lot more level headed than the redhead he'd dated during his prospect year. As he thought about it, he realized she was the last woman he actually dated. "You just come here to gossip with my mom?"

"She's nicer than you." Kozik shrugged. Happy shook his head and continued smoking while Kozik filled him in on some things going on in Tacoma and Charming. "I heard Clay and Jax are about to explode. Bobby said they don't agree on shit."

"Yeah, that started a while ago." Happy agreed. His phone started vibrating and he stepped away from his nosy brother to answer it. "Hey, I tried calling you back."

"I know." Happy was relieved to hear her voice sounding clearer and almost back to normal. "I had to go down for an x-ray."

"Are they still releasing you tomorrow?" Happy had already arranged for the nurse to sit with his mother while he took Charlie home. He had tried to convince her to stay in the guest room at his mother's house but she refused.

"As long as I don't have any fluid in my lung." Happy nodded, glaring at Kozik who was thrusting his hips suggestively and acting like an idiot. "How's your mom today?"

"She's okay. Ate most of her breakfast and started knitting a scarf." Happy didn't want to tell her that she'd been unable to keep that breakfast down for more than an hour. He knew she was getting worse but he didn't want to admit it to himself or Charlie. "I've got to go, girl. I'll see you in the morning."

"Bye, Happy." Charlie said quietly. Happy put his phone away and cracked his neck. He was ready for something good to happen instead of all the bad shit that he'd been plagued with over the last few weeks. He turned to Kozik.

"How long are you here for?" Happy knew he wouldn't have a better opportunity to get some help taking care of the prick that hurt Charlie.

"Gotta be in Barstow tomorrow night. What's up?" Kozik listened as Happy explained what had happened. He stuck to the facts, refusing to talk about his feelings. "All you had to do was ask, brother."

Charlie exhaled slowly as she transitioned into a tortoise pose. She still felt stiff from the attack but she had been cleared by her doctors to start exercising again. It felt good to get back into a routine that included teaching at the community center. While teaching and while practicing herself, she was able to take her mind off of Anita. Sometimes, she felt a little guilty for distracting herself but both Anita and Happy had told her that she shouldn't.

"Hey." Happy's voice startled Charlie. She hadn't heard him walk up and didn't realize it was already time for him to be there. A week after she got out of the hospital, her car started acting up. Happy was working on fixing it but they were waiting on a backordered part. "That looked painful."

"It wasn't until you scared me." She smiled and patted her forehead with a towel. "Sorry, I lost track of time."

"It's fine. Do you want to change?" Happy was fiddling with the toothpick in his mouth and watching her closely. Her brow furrowed, wondering if she had forgotten about something. He leaned against the wall and smirked, "You asked me to get a drink with you."

"That was almost four weeks ago." Charlie laughed. Happy shrugged, reminding her that she'd gotten herself put in the hospital before they could go. She paused and glanced over at him, hoping her question wasn't going to end his playful mood. "Is this a date?"

"Yeah." Happy said gruffly. Charlie felt butterflies starting to stir in the pit of her stomach. After she got out of the hospital, things had started getting worse with Anita. Happy had understandably been focused on getting her the care that she needed, so they hadn't talked much or had any time alone. Anita had finally started to stabilize over the last few days.

"Let's swing by my place and I'll change super fast." Charlie said, hurrying to catch up with him in the parking lot. He nodded and handed her a helmet when they got to his motorcycle. She turned the helmet over, curious where it had come from. He put his own helmet on and looked back at her impatiently. "Did you get this for me?"

"Yeah, hurry up." He said. Charlie smiled and pulled the helmet on before settling in behind Happy. She wrapped her arms around him loosely, feeling more comfortable with every ride.

"You can come inside." Charlie hung her helmet on his handlebar and jogged towards her front door. She noticed him smile. "What?"

"Nothing." He was still smiling. Charlie rolled her eyes and opened the front door. She turned and leaned on the door, holding it open for him. "I like those pants."

"Is that what you've been grinning about?" Charlie's cheeks warmed as she closed the door. Happy nodded and took a step towards her, backing her into a corner. Her heart started to race. "Kiss me."

He didn't need a second invitation. His right hand fell to her hip and pulled her close, their bodies heating up quickly. Charlies lips parted as Happy kissed her. She had thought about him kissing her before, wondering what it would be like. He was rough but gentle at the same time, his hand gripping her hip while his mouth claimed her. Her hand moved to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. He took a step forward, pushing her back gently into the wall. Her whole body started to tingle, like static electricity was building up between them.

"Happy." She broke the kiss to breathe. "I don't want to rush this." She pulled him back down to her mouth and pressed her body against him. Charlie had a bad habit of rushing into bed in the beginning of relationships and eventually ruining them. She broke the kiss again, breathing hard. "Wait."

"You started it." Happy smirked, dipping his head down and nipping at the sensitive skin on her neck. She moaned and leaned her head back. "Do you want to stop?"

"No but I need to." She panted. Happy stepped back and she immediately missed his touch. "I'm going to change. Stay in here."

"If you say so." He teased. Charlie whined and forced herself down the hall to her bedroom. As she peeled her sports bra off, she noticed how her body had reacted to him. She bit her bottom lip, trying to resist the urge to call him to her. Forcing herself to focus, she picked a pair of skinny, white jeans and a black, flowing top. She also found her matching, lace lingerie in the back of her dresser.

"You ready?" Charlie asked, walking back into the living room. Happy nodded and met her at the door. She blushed as he rested his hand on the back pocket of her jeans. She was extremely aware of how close his body was to hers.

When they made it to the restaurant, Charlie had gotten control of her body again. She could breathe again. When they walked inside, he kept a hand on her ass or lower back. They seemed to find a way to keep touching each other. When they sat down across from one another at the table, she positioned her leg between his. She wasn't sure if it was the weeks of building tension or something more but Charlie had never felt so drawn to another person.

"Kozik seemed nice." Charlie said, trying to start a conversation that would keep her mind off of touching him. His surfer-dude brother had come back through Bakersfield after he left Barstow. Charlie had gotten to meet him and hear a few stories about the trouble that he and Happy got into back in Tacoma.

"He can be. You want him here instead?" Happy rasped. Charlie struggled to swallow as she shook his head. Happy smirked. He was teasing her. "Your ass looks delicious in those jeans."

"Delicious?" Charlie blushed. He nodded as the waitress came over to take their order. She ordered salmon and a vodka tonic. Happy ordered steak and a Jack & Coke. Finally, Charlie started to relax after finishing her first drink.

"She told me if I got arrested again that it would be safer for me to sit in jail. Said she'd beat me senseless if I embarrassed her like that again," Happy said, finishing his story about being arrested at seventeen. Charlie wondered if he'd gotten arrested again but was a little nervous to ask. She wasn't blind, she knew he lived on the edge of the law but for the time being, she didn't want to know everything. "Were you always a Girl Scout?"

"Actually I was never a Girl Scout. I didn't want to sell the cookies." Charlie gave him a wink. She finished her second drink and shrugged. "You've seen my record."

"I didn't memorize it, Charlie." Happy waved the waitress over and ordered another round of drinks for both of them. "So?"

"I've never been arrested. I got in a couple fights in school but never got anything worse than a suspension," Charlie admitted. She noticed the corner of Happy's mouth curl upwards. "What?"

"You. You're everything I'm not." He ran his ringed fingers over the short hair that had started covering his head. Charlie bit her bottom lip, nervous that he'd meant it negatively. When he didn't say anything else, she felt her good mood start to slip away. She thought the date had been going well up until that point. They finished the drinks the waitress brought over without further conversation. Charlie stole glances at him but his expression wasn't giving anything away. When the check came, she opened her bag to pay for her half. He plucked the check from her hands and shook his head. "Ma would kill me if I let you pay."

"I won't tell her." Charlie offered. Happy shook his head and counted cash for the bill and a decent tip. The date seemed all but over, so Charlie headed out to the parking lot ahead of Happy. She felt his hand catch her wrist.

"What's wrong?" He asked, pulling her around to face him. Charlie frowned.

"I thought we actually had a chance. You kissed me and we were having fun. I don't know I thought Anita may have actually been right." She sighed and felt her bottom lip tremble. Liquor made her emotional. It was great when she was happy but if she was sad, she couldn't hide her emotions. "Sorry."

"Why don't you think that anymore?" Happy pulled her closer and put his hands on her hips. She looked up into his warm, brown eyes and shook her head sadly. "Look, I suck at dating. I haven't actually done it in years. If I did something just tell me."

"You pretty much said we were opposites."

"Charlie, if we weren't I wouldn't be standing here." He kissed her lips gently. "Do you want me to drop you off at home?"

"No." Charlie pulled down on his neck so she could reach his mouth with hers. His kiss had been gentle, her kiss was hungry. Happy deepened the kiss and tangled his fingers into her thick, red hair. "Let's go."

"Hold on." Happy started the bike and revved the engine before pulling out into the street. The speed forced her towards the rear of the seat. Charlie realized he had not intention of slowing down, so she tightened her arms and scooted back into place. He dropped his right hand to her thigh and she felt her whole body start heating up.

Charlie kicked her front door closed as soon as they got inside. Their bodies and mouths collided, both vying for control. Happy picked Charlie up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He shuffled down the hallway, feeling his way along the wall to find her bedroom. Finally, he found the door and pushed it open with his foot.

"Keep them off." Charlie muttered against his mouth as Happy felt around for the light switch. He shook his head and flipped the light on. She groaned, worried about him seeing the rest of her scars. Charlie knew he'd already seen most of them but somehow the thought of removing her bra and jeans, just revealing that last bit of scarring, made her nervous. Happy lowered her onto the bed and kissed her neck, his hands traveling under her blouse. "Wait. Happy. Wait."

"Why?" He continued kissing her put paused his wandering hands on her stomach. When she didn't answer, he pulled away and looked at her. Her blue eyes were glassy. "Charlie?"

"I don't want you to see my scars." She almost choked on the words. Happy shook his head and kissed her lips. "Please."

"Look," Happy said, pulling his shirt off. Charlie looked at his chest, unsurprisingly it was covered with tattoos. Charlie started noticing scattered scars across his arms and stomach. "I've probably got more scars than you, beautiful."

"I'm sorry." Charlie still wished he would turn the light off. Happy shook his head and stood up. "Wait, don't leave."

"I'm not." He flicked the lights off and Charlie heard his belt jingle and jeans unzip before they hit the floor. She bit her lip as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Happy grabbed her ankle and tugged her towards the edge of the bed. "You happy now?"

"Yes." She breathed. Charlie lifted her hips and shimmied out of her jeans before Happy crawled onto the bed again. He ran his hand up one of her legs on his way back to her mouth. She felt a chill from the cold metal of his rings. "I want you."

"I know." Happy whispered, nipping her ear. She arched her back, pushing her hips onto his waist. He kissed her neck and pushed his own hips down, pinning her to the bed. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No." Charlie panted, his warm lips pressing onto her chest. She remembered wanting to take it slow, she had even told him so before dinner. Something about the way he made her feel changed her mind. She trusted him. "Please."

Happy watched as Charlie nervously pulled her shirt off with trembling hands. He wasn't used to her being shy and couldn't really understand why she was so worried about the scar. He was used to women walking around with little to no clothes and fake boobs. Charlie was different. Charlie didn't need all the skimpy clothes and plastic surgery. He would chose her over any of the sweetbutts or croweaters any day. In his eyes, she had no reason to be self conscious.

"Oh-" Charlie leaned her head back and dug her nails into the mattress. He licked her sweet, warm center slowly as she struggled to catch her breath. Happy almost never went down on the women he hooked up with. He rarely got anything out of it. He was taking his time with her though. He wanted her to know that she was his, that only he could feel the way she felt in that moment. "Happy, please."

"Tell me what you want." Happy kissed her deeply, letting her taste the sweetness he'd been enjoying. She moaned and lightly drug her nails down his back.

"I want it rough." Charlie growled.

Happy licked his lips as she pulled his boxers off with a little smile. He liked the way she lightly, teasingly stroked him. After driving him to the brink of insanity, Charlie stood and took her bra off. He watched her closely as she walked into her closet. Her ass was perky and round, almost defying everything he knew about gravity. It was the first time he'd noticed an ass looking better naked than in yoga pants. She walked out of the closet with a box of condoms and his jaw tensed. The box was already opened.

"What's that face?" Charlie said, stopping in front of him. He shook his head but it was too late. Charlie tossed the box on her bed and pursed her lips. "What?"

"I don't want anyone else touching you." Happy said. Charlie nodded and put her hands on his shoulders and stepped forward. He scooted back and pulled her onto the bed so she was straddling him. Happy opened his mouth to make sure she understood what he'd said, but she cut him off with a kiss. He moaned and deepened the kiss.

Happy gripped Charlie's hips as she rode him. He didn't have to guide her. She knew exactly what she was doing with her tight, little body and it was already pushing him towards the edge. He caught one of her bouncing nipples with his teeth and she slowed down, grinding as he sucked and rolled the pink tip between his teeth. He pushed her off of him and down onto her back, yearning to take back control. She smirked and motioned for him to come closer.

"Hold on." She moaned. He paused and let her move her legs to his shoulders before continuing his rough thrusts inside of her. The new angle felt tighter and he was able to go deeper. She moaned his name as her body tightened around him. "So close."

"So tight, girl." He barely even noticed the annoying condom anymore. He barely noticed anything but Charlie. He knew he couldn't keep going much longer. "Come for me."

"Oh, oh, Happy." Charlie whimpered and he felt her squeezing him tighter than ever. Her breathing quickened and she bit down on her bottom lip. He slowed down and covered her mouth with his. She ran her nails over his scalp and pressed her body onto him. Happy tangled his fingers into her hair and broke the kiss, panting as he found his release. He kissed her again and pulled back slowly, already missing the way his body felt when it touched hers.

Happy walked into her bathroom to take care of the condom and wipe her slickness off his stomach. As he considered staying in bed with her for a few hours, he glanced up and saw a crack in the mirror that hung over a slowly dripping faucet. Making a mental note to fix the sink and mirror at some point, he walked out of the small bathroom to join Charlie back on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Happy stopped and watched a crying Charlie scramble to put clothes back on. The lights were back on but she didn't seem to care about the scars anymore. He noticed his phone on the bed. There wasn't anything on there that would upset her. Hell, half the texts were just his brothers asking about his mom. "Charlie."

"The nurse just called. They're rushing Anita to the hospital." Charlie brushed her tears away angrily. Happy felt like someone had just sucker punched him. He started moving quickly but barely even noticed what he was doing. Charlie handed his worn, leather boots to him.

"What did the nurse say?" Happy wasn't sure he wanted to know. Charlie shook her head and he ground his teeth together. "Did she not tell you anything or are you not telling me?"

"She doesn't know anything yet. The ambulance just got there." Charlie didn't react to the snap in his voice. She just walked out of the room. Happy found her waiting by his motorcycle, helmet on.

"Don't fall off." He yelled over the roar of the engine coming to life. Charlie held on tightly and Happy drove criminally fast to the hospital.

******Thank you all so much for the continued interest in this story! How do you feel about the pacing of the story so far? The comments you all have been leaving make me so happy! Next update can be expected within the next week, maybe sooner depending on my availability.******


	5. Chapter 5

Charlie pulled at a hangnail on her thumb, only stopping when her hand became wet with blood. She was sitting in a half-full hospital waiting room, waiting for the nurse or Happy to come out with some news. What she knew to that point wasn't good. The home health nurse had found Anita unconscious in the bathroom and immediately called for an ambulance. She had stopped breathing on the way to the hospital and the paramedics had to start CPR. They managed to get a heartbeat in the emergency room.

"Hey." Charlie looked up to see Kozik holding a cup of coffee out to her. She blinked and took the cup. Had it already been that long since he'd called Happy's phone? He had left it with Charlie when he went back to the ICU to see his mom. Shortly after he'd gone back, the phone had started ringing. She barely even remembered telling Kozik what had happened.

"What time is it?"

"Close to five." Kozik yawned and sat down in the seat across from her. She glanced at the windows across the room and noticed the sun wasn't quite up but it was certainly less dark than the last time she'd been outside. "Any change?"

"I don't know. Happy's been back there since you called." Charlie stood up and stretched her back. "Do you have any cigarettes?"

"Didn't know you smoked." Kozik nodded towards the exit. Charlie didn't smoke, not usually. She was going to make an exception. Her head was starting to hurt from a lack of sleep, her nerves were shot and she just wanted to do something other than sit and wait. They walked outside and she noticed Kozik smirking. "Your shirt is inside out."

"Oh." Charlie hadn't noticed. She had been in such a rush to get dressed and to the hospital that her outfit didn't really matter. His smirk faded and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie spun to see Happy staring at Kozik. He looked more tired than she felt and his beard stubble was starting to grow in. She flicked the half-smoked cigarette away and shoved her hands in her back pockets, unsure if Happy would want her to hug him or not. He looked away from Kozik and made eye contact with her. She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "Come here, girl."

"How is she?" Kozik asked as Happy pulled Charlie to him.

"Touch and go. Doc said there isn't much they can do but make her comfortable." Happy's voice sounded hollow and distant. She looked up at him and felt all of her hope slipping away. "She's refusing any more extraordinary measures."

"Shit." Kozik sighed. Happy hugged Charlie a little tighter as he nodded. The three of them stood outside in silence as the sun came up. Kozik and Happy chain-smoked while Charlie just stared off into space.

"You need to get some sleep, girl." Happy straightened his cut and turned to look at her. She was exhausted but she had no intention of leaving him. "Go home."

"I'm not leaving," Charlie said.

"Last time I checked you ain't a doctor. There's no point in you staying and wearing yourself out." Happy's voice was gruffer as he accepted her hug. She frowned and shook her head. "Koz, take her home. I'll call you if anything changes."

"You can't just sit here alone, Happy. No one should be alone during something like this." Charlie pursed her lips and watched his expression harden.

"You're both right, okay? I'll take you home and then I'll come back to sit with Hap, okay?" Kozik suggested. Charlie wasn't okay with the plan but Happy just nodded and walked back into the hospital. "Come on. You can come back later."

Charlie realized there was no point in arguing. She followed Kozik to his motorcycle and climbed on wordlessly. He offered her his helmet, but she shook her head.

Kozik didn't ride like Happy, at least not with her on the back. He didn't jump the line at green lights or really lean into the turns. Charlie didn't mind, really. She was too busy in her own head to really hold on anyways.

"Thanks," Charlie muttered as she opened her front door. Kozik had walked her to the door like a gentleman. He offered her a smile but she didn't return it. Seconds after closing the door, she heard his motorcycle speeding off. He had definitely been riding slowly because of her. Charlie walked to her bedroom and noticed the condom box on the bed, guilt washed over her.

Happy sat back down in the chair next to the hospital bed and leaned back. His mother was still asleep. She was tired. He knew she wasn't going to be able to keep fighting much longer, no matter how much he wanted her to. Despite his begging and pleading against it, she had already made that choice, Happy had watched her sign the 'do not resuscitate' order just a couple hours before going outside for a smoke. He knew he needed to get ready. He knew if there was anything he wanted to say, he wouldn't have many more opportunities to do so.

"Where's Charlie?" Anita's voice brought Happy out of his thoughts. Her eyes were barely open and her voice was almost a whisper.

"I made her go home and get some sleep." Happy sighed. He wasn't sure what he wanted more, Charlie by his side or far away. "Are you hurting?"

"No, mijo." Anita gave him a small smile. "How was your date?"

"Fine." Happy didn't want to talk about it. He should have been with his mother, not on a date or hooking up with Charlie. Anita gave him a stern look and he knew she wasn't going to be satisfied with that answer. "We went to that steak house off Main. She had salmon and I had steak."

"I don't care what you ate. Did you kiss her?" Anita smiled. Happy rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "Oh, stop being shy. You're a grown man."

"Yeah, ma. We kissed." Happy shook his head when she gently clapped her hands together. "I should have been home."

"Nonsense. You've been worrying about me for almost ten years, son." Anita coughed and it took her a couple of minutes to gather the strength to continue. "Charlotte is a good woman and I know you care for her. Don't you push her away when I'm gone. You'll need her, mijo."

"Stop." Happy grumbled. He knew she was knocking on death's door but that didn't mean they needed to talk about it. Anita closed her eyes and rested but Happy could tell she was still awake. After a few minutes, he decided to take advantage of what time he had left. "I'm sorry, ma."

"For what?" Anita didn't open her eyes. Happy leaned forward and held his head.

"For everything. For getting in trouble in school, to dropping out, to getting arrested. I didn't make your life easy." Happy knew apologizing didn't begin to make up for all the things he'd done to make her worry or upset her in the past. He wouldn't get a chance to make it up to her if it was even possible.

"Happy, you are my son. I've always been in your corner and that's not ever going to change. You are the very best son a mother could ask for." She reached for his hand and smiled. "What did I tell you when you went to that school dance?"

"To keep my dick in my pants." Happy clearly remembered her fussing at him and telling him she wasn't old enough to be a grandmother. She laughed and shook her head, so he continued. "I'd always be your little boy, no matter what."

"That's right." Anita smiled and rubbed his hand. "If you have a little boy or little girl, I hope you're as lucky as I have been."

"Ma, I went on a date. Don't push it." Happy was deflecting. He didn't want her to see him get all teary. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you up when Charlie gets back."

"Okay, mijo."

Anita looked up weakly as Charlie entered the hospital room. She looked so small in the hospital bed and the bright red DNR sign that hung on the door and foot of the bed screamed at Charlie. Her throat tightened. She refused to cry. She refused to upset her dear friend. Happy offered Charlie his seat, telling her he was going to smoke and get a coffee.

"Hey." Charlie didn't risk saying more before she got a grip on her emotions.

"Sweet girl, I'm glad you are here." Anita turned her palm up, inviting Charlie to hold her hand. Charlie scooted to the edge of the chair and laid her hand in Anita's. Her hand was cool to the touch. "I heard you had a good date."

"It was good. He was a gentleman." Charlie smiled warmly. Anita nodded slowly. "Thank you for forcing us together."

"No, dear. Thank you. You are good-" Anita coughed, squeezing Charlie's hand. "-together. I don't want him to be alone."

"Don't worry, Anita." Charlie's throat tightened again. She could tell Anita was truly tired. Happy returned a few minutes later with an extra coffee for Charlie. Anita had just dozed off, so they just sat quietly by her side until the nurse came in to check on her.

"I'm sorry you're going through this." The nurse said quietly. Happy moved his eyes to her but didn't say anything. "Would you like me to call anyone for you?"

"Like who?" Happy snapped. Charlie frowned and put her hand on his knee, hoping to calm him. The nurse frowned and looked to Charlie. "We're fine."

"Of course, my apologies." The nurse muttered. Charlie could tell that she was genuinely sorry, but Happy was on edge. He rose to his feet quickly and stepped towards the young woman.

"Happy," Charlie said quietly, taking his hand as the nurse's eyes welled with tears. "She was just trying to be nice."

"Nice would be doing her job so my mother didn't die." Happy snapped. The nurse burst into tears and walked out of the room, apologizing profusely. Charlie stepped in front of him, looking into his dark eyes. "Charlie, please."

Happy shook his head and stumbled back to the small loveseat. She followed, pulling him close as his chest shook with sobs. Charlie's own tears started rolling down her cheeks as she rubbed his back. He had hidden his face in his hands but Charlie knew he was crying and it all but broke her heart. Happy was the strong one, the mean one who never showed any emotion but as he sat in his mother's hospital room, all of the walls he'd built up over the years crumbled.

Charlie stepped into her shoes and fumbled with the clasp to her necklace. She felt Happy's hands brush her skin and let him fasten the necklace before she turned around to face him. His head and beard were freshly shaved. He wore a plain, black t-shirt on under his cut and a pair of dark jeans. Charlie looked down at her dress and wished she had something a little less tight, a little more appropriate.

"Your hands were shaking," Happy said. Charlie nodded quietly. "What time do we have to be there?"

"Noon." Charlie heard the front door close and voices coming from the living room. She glanced towards her bedroom door. "I'm almost ready."

"Okay." Happy turned to leave with a sigh. "Tig can be a disgusting jackass. You sure you don't want them to wait outside?"

"I'll be fine," Charlie said. She had a feeling he was trying to avoid leaving her bedroom, but it was getting close to the time they needed to leave. Reluctantly, she left him at the doorway to finish securing her hair into a neat, high bun.

"Hey, sweetheart." Tig hugged Charlie as soon as walked into the living room. Charlie's house had never been so full. Kozik had described everyone to her so she'd have an idea of who was who but it was overwhelming now that they were all there. Happy was across the room talking to who he had introduced earlier as Jax and Opie. Kozik saved Charlie and pulled Tig off. "You look beautiful."

"Careful, brother. He's been a little unpredictable." Kozik warned, glancing back at Happy who was watching Charlie closely. Kozik's busted lip was still healing from an argument with him. "Charlie, this is Tig Trager. Tig, this is Charlie."

"Are you ready?" Happy interrupted, appearing by her side and putting his hand on her lower back. Charlie swallowed hard and nodded. He handed her the keys to his truck and then led the way outside ahead of everyone else. Her driveway and curb were lined with almost two dozen black, Harley Davidson motorcycles. Each one had an orange banner on the windshield that simply read 'funeral'. Charlie bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. She wasn't ready and she knew Happy wasn't either.

Anita Lowman had passed two days after she was taken to the hospital. She went quietly in her sleep with both Happy and Charlie by her side. She had known it was coming, telling them both goodbye before she fell asleep. Moments after her last breath, Happy busted out of the room. It took Kozik almost two hours to track him down and get him back to the hospital to deal with paperwork and arrangements. Since his return to the hospital, he'd kept Charlie at his side. She had been with him through the rage and the tearful breakdown at his mother's house. He was more short-tempered than usual but he had tried to avoid lashing out at Charlie. Charlie did everything she could think of to help him with the funeral; she handled writing the obituary and notifying Anita's local friends while Happy reached out to his club and dealt with the funeral home and the insurance company.

"Come here." Happy caught Charlie's waist before she walked into the chapel with the club and the rest of Anita's friends."You're family, baby."

"I really don't want to give the eulogy," Charlie muttered, her stomach in knots. Happy nodded and kissed the top of her head. It had been Anita that requested it, telling Charlie that if she left it to Happy he would just grunt. "How are you?"

"Regretfully sober." Happy admitted. He had been 'coping' with marijuana and copious amounts of hard liquor for the past four days. "She'd haunt me if I was drunk today."

"Yeah. She would." Charlie squeezed his hand when the director motioned for them to make their way into the chapel. Happy interlaced his fingers with hers and took a deep breath. She stared at the white casket as she and Happy sat down. He had insisted on getting her a beautiful casket, no matter the cost. It was his last chance to give her something nice.

"Charlotte, would you like to say a few words?" The preacher asked. Charlie hadn't heard any of the prayers or generic blessings. She barely even registered her name being said. Happy gave her thigh a light squeeze before she stood up.

"Most of you don't know me and that's okay because we all knew and loved Anita. She was a force of nature." Charlie swallowed hard and glanced over at Happy. He gave her a small nod. "I met Anita several months ago at the Bakersfield Community Center. She had signed up for a senior yoga class and was enthusiastic about learning something new. After class, she was exhausted. The class had taken a lot out of her but she managed to muster up the strength to threaten me if I told her son that she'd died trying yoga. Those were some of the first words Anita spoke to me. Over the following weeks, I learned just how special she was. She had a warriors spirit and a saint's heart. She would often tell me about her early years fighting just to survive in Columbia and about the love she had for her son Happy."

Happy wanted to stand up, walk out of the chapel, get on his bike and ride until he ran out of road. Every word Charlie spoke about his mother was true and it made him miss her that much more. He had never felt such emptiness and hollowness as he did the minute his mother died. It shook him to the bone, even calling into question every kill he'd made for the club. The smiley faces on his stomach forced him to think about all the mothers, fathers, sons or daughters that he'd caused to feel the way he felt when he lost her.

"Your ma was right about her," Kozik whispered as Charlie wrapped up her eulogy. Happy knew he was right. She was the only thing keeping him from completely shutting down. He had started seeing reminders of his mother in her smile and the way she cared about other people. As much as it hurt to have the reminders, he was also thankful for them. She was also strong like Anita. Despite the pain he knew she was hiding, she fought to keep it together and take care of him.

After the service, Happy and Charlie went to the cemetery for the burial. He didn't want everyone there. He was worried that watching the casket being lowered into the ground was going to wreck him. The club was his family and he appreciated everyone dropping everything to support him, but he didn't need an audience. He'd even left his bike at the funeral home, opting to drive his truck. Charlie sat quietly on the passenger side, her hand resting on his thigh, giving him the silence that he needed.

"Do you want to say anything?" The priest asked, looking from Charlie to Happy. He shook his head. He'd said enough while she was in the hospital. Charlie squeezed his hand. As the casket started slowly descending into the grave, Happy felt sick. His stomach churned and his chest tightened.

"Let's go," He muttered. Charlie looked up at him with wet eyes and a sad frown. He was tired of the sadness, tired of feeling like his world was cracked down the middle. "It's done."

"Are you sure?" Charlie's voice was soft like she was afraid to question him. He nodded and let go of her hand, ready to leave without her. She stepped away from the graveside and caught his hand again."Okay."

Happy drove back towards the funeral home with the weight of every decision he'd made to that point pressing down on him. He should have treated his mother better, done fewer things that made her worry. He regretted not spending more time with her before she got sick and staying gone after she was diagnosed with cancer. She would have loved grandchildren or at least a daughter in law but he was always too hardheaded, too hedonistic to think about settling down.

"Happy, where are we going?" Charlie shifted nervously in her seat as he continued driving out of town. He glanced around, barely aware that he'd missed the turn for the funeral home. "Do you want me to drive?"

"No." Happy took a deep breath and continued driving further from the funeral home. He glanced over at the woman beside him, the woman that had been such a friend to his mother. Despite his best efforts, she had worked her way into his heart just like his ma had wanted. "Get out."

Charlie sighed and stepped out of the truck, joining Happy at the overlook he'd taken her to weeks ago. He knew she was worried about him.

"I found the person that hurt you." Happy didn't have to look at Charlie to know that she was frowning. "While you were still in the hospital, Kozik and I tracked him down."

"Happy, what did you do?" Charlie's voice was shaky. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, fully aware of the risk he was taking.

"I killed him." Happy paused and looked down at her. Her face seemed pale, even for her. "My role in the club is to do things that a lot of people can't. If there's a threat or someone that's hurt us, I take care of it. I don't show mercy, Charlie. I like hurting people. I enjoy having control over them."

"Why are you telling me this?" Charlie was breathing faster.

"I need you to know who I am. I need you to know what I've done." Happy turned towards her and watched her closely. "I would never hurt you."

"Never? What if I threatened your club? What if I said I would go to the police right now and tell them everything you just told me?" Charlie stepped towards him and looked him in the eyes. "Would you hurt me then?"

"No." Happy shook his head. "I need you, Charlie."

"What happens when you don't? What happens when you go back on the road or back to Charming and start thinking about what you just told me? You think you won't change your mind?" Charlie was scared, he knew that. Any rational person would be scared. "Why are you doing this?"

"I need you to know everything before you answer me." Happy took a step towards her, relieved when she didn't move back. "Marry me."

"What?"

"Marry me. I'll transfer to Charming so I won't be on the road as much." Happy searched her eyes for some sort of clue as to what was going on in her head.

"Happy, your mom just died. You aren't thinking about what you're asking me. You just don't want to be alone." Charlie bit her bottom lip and swallowed. Happy sighed and lowered his forehead to rest on the top of her head. "I love you, Happy, but I can't marry you."

"Then come back to Charming with me." Happy suggested. He knew she was right, he wasn't thinking. He just didn't want to lose her and he couldn't stay in Bakersfield. Even if there was no club to think about, he couldn't live there. "There are some rich people that probably like yoga."

"Are you asking me to move in with you now? We've only been on one date." Charlie chuckled lightly. Happy smirked, relieved by her laughter.

"Sort of, I don't have a house or an apartment." Happy shrugged. "I can't stay in Bakersfield, Charlie."

"My lease ends in three months. Let's talk about it then." Charlie smiled. He sighed and pressed his lips to hers, wishing she'd just say yes. She let him deepen the kiss and hold her body against his. In the back of his mind, he knew what he was asking of her was crazy but he was also sure about Charlie. His ma was sure about them too.

"We should probably get back to your house before Tig and Kozik destroy it." Happy felt a defeated knowing that he was going to be leaving Bakersfield alone.

"Do you want a muffin?" Bobby asked seconds after Charlie and Happy walked inside. The majority of the club was piled into her living room watching a boxing match on the tv. Bobby was holding a large platter of freshly baked muffins and Jax was standing by the back door on his phone.

"Um. Sure?" Charlie took a muffin and tore off a small piece to try. Happy watched her smile at Bobby. "This is delicious."

"He's our Martha Stewart," Tig said, walking around the couch to join them. Happy noticed him checking out her body. His jaw tightened. "You don't eat many muffins, do you?"

"Watch it." Happy growled. Tig put his hands up in surrender and smiled.

"Just appreciating your friend's hard work. You can't just sit around and eat muffins if you want a body like that." Tig winked at Charlie. Happy's nostrils flared and a low boil started in his veins.

"Leave it, Tig. She don't need your blood all over 'er walls." Chibs said, still staring at the television. He was right, Happy thought. One more stupid comment and he'd knock his teeth out. Charlie wasn't some sweet butt. He needed to make that known soon or someone was going to get hurt, whether it be Tig or some hang around.

"I've got to talk to Jax. You okay?" Happy asked Charlie as Tig and Kozik argued about the next boxing match. Charlie rolled her eyes.

"Happy, it's my house. I'm fine." Charlie didn't seem too uncomfortable, despite her house being full of strangers. She sat down on the arm of her couch, right next to Kozik. Happy didn't care for how close she was to his brother but he knew he wouldn't try anything with her.

"We can clear out, Hap." Jax offered as Happy sat down across the table from him. Happy shrugged. As Charlie said, it was her house. He had missed his brothers, even Tig, so he didn't mind them staying. "What's on your mind?"

"Planning on putting in a transfer." Happy said, looking up from his hands to Jax. Jax's eyes widened a little before he nodded. "I know shit's been rough in Charming."

"But it's the closest charter to Bakersfield?" Jax nodded towards Charlie with a smirk. Happy shook his head.

"Nah, she's not staying here. Hoping to move up to Charming and get a house or something." Happy felt uneasy discussing his relationship so openly. Jax smiled brightly.

"You got my vote, brother. I'll back your transfer." His smile faltered slightly. "The way things are going we'd need you around more anyways."

"I appreciate it." Happy nodded. "What have I missed?"

***To force myself to write more, I'm updating sooner than originally planned. I am so glad to see that many of you like this story so far. This chapter was especially difficult for me to write but we all knew it was coming. Please stay tuned! Thank you again for the views, favorites, follows and reviews!***


	6. Chapter 6

Happy looked down at his blood-splattered jeans as he stepped off his motorcycle. He and Tig were running late after taking care of some club business and the party was starting in less than an hour. Happy walked directly to the clubhouse apartment and sat at the end of the bed. The dying man's pleas kept ringing in his ears. It had to be done though, Happy told himself. It was that prick or his brothers. He had to do what others couldn't. He had to protect his family.

"You okay, sweetie?" Kate peeked into the apartment with a bright smile. Happy ignored her, assuming she would leave. When she slipped inside the room, Happy stood up. "You seem stressed."

"Didn't tell you to come in here." Happy growled. Kate pursed her lips and put a manicured hand on his chest. He pushed his toothpick to the opposite side of his mouth and glared down at her. "You going to take a hint?"

"It's just me, sweetie. You know we have fun together." Kate purred, pressing her breasts against him. Happy tightened his jaw.

"Get out." Happy wanted to backhand her but knowing Kate, she'd be into that. He turned away and felt her hands on his wrist.

"If it's about your little girlfriend I heard about, I can be discreet. She doesn't have to know." Kate hit a nerve. Happy grabbed her by the back of her neck and marched her over to the door. He ripped it open and shoved her into the hall. The force behind his push sent her into the opposite wall. Her yelp didn't phase him. As he turned to go back into the apartment, Kozik turned the corner. He looked from Kate to Happy and blinked.

"Teach that bitch to listen or I'll break her neck next time." Happy snapped. Kozik opened his mouth to ask what had happened but Happy had already slammed the door closed. He paced the room a couple of times, trying to sort shit out in his head. He had to get right with his role in the club. The phone in his pocket vibrated twice, distracting him from his internal struggle. It was a picture message from Charlie, asking him if her outfit was okay for the party. She was wearing the corset that he liked and a pair of red heels. He texted her back quickly, instructing her to save that for their private after party.

Happy emerged from the apartment half an hour later with a freshly shaved head and clean clothes. Tig nodded from the bar where he was sitting with Kate. She openly avoided looking at him. Kozik joined him by the pool table and offered him a beer. Happy took it and drank in silence, well aware of his brother watching him closely. He checked his phone for any new messages from Charlie.

"She still coming?" Kozik asked. Happy cut his eyes over at him, refusing to answer the question. "Wasn't sure after you and Kate."

"Sorry, I'll kill the next bitch that bothers me. Save you from asking dumb questions." Happy stated coldly. Kozik rolled his eyes, further digging himself a spot under Happy's skin. "Nothing happened."

"Good. Charlie seems like a good girl and she's good for you." Kozik said. Happy rolled his eyes and walked away. He wasn't having a conversation about his relationship ahead of a party. He ordered the prospect to get him another beer as Jax and Tara walked inside. Happy strummed his fingers on the bar, turning an idea over in his head.

"Hey, Hap," Jax said, clapping his hand on his back. Happy nodded and called for the prospect to bring Jax a beer as well. "Where's Charlie?"

"Should be getting close. Hey, doc." Happy looked over at Tara and noticed her surprise. "Mind reaching out to my girl?"

"Sure. Yeah, I can do that." Tara said quickly.

"I appreciate it. She hasn't met any old ladies yet." Happy said. Tara nodded knowingly. She opened her mouth to say something until Happy answered his phone. He walked outside without another word. Charlie was just pulling in to the lot with his truck.

"Hey." She stepped out of the truck and looked around nervously. Happy wanted to push her back in the cab and undress her right there. Instead of her usual jeans or yoga bottoms, she was wearing a tight, little leather skirt and a white tank top that showed just enough cleavage to drive him mad. The red heels from the picture were replaced with black ankle boots that boosted her up just a couple inches. "I've missed you."

"Missed you. God, you're too fuckin' sexy, girl." Happy growled, running his hands down her leather covered butt to the back of her thighs. She smiled and pushed herself up to kiss his lips possessively. He could tell she was nervous but she was there. She was trying. "Let's get you a drink."

"After you." She pushed her freshly straightened hair behind her ear. Happy paused, catching a glimpse of the simple, black earrings. They were tiny replicas of the tattoos on his stomach. Charlie swallowed nervously when he reached up and touched one. "Sorry, I probably should have asked since it's pretty much your calling card. I just saw them at the store and liked them and they weren't too expensive and-"

"Stop." Happy laughed. Charlie bit her bottom lip. "I like them."

"Okay." Charlie breathed out a sigh of relief as he led her into the bar. Kozik rushed over as soon as they were inside. He threw an arm around her shoulders and squeezed tightly.

"There's my favorite ginger." He smiled. Happy narrowed his eyes at the shorter man, hoping he knew well enough to take his hands off Charlie quickly.

"Seems like your party started a while ago, Kozik." Charlie laughed, relaxing a little as she looked around. The party wasn't raging yet and the men she knew greatly outnumbered the people she didn't. Happy smacked the bar and the prospect rushed over, skidding to a halt when he saw Charlie. He openly stared at her legs and ass.

"Eyes up if you want to keep them in your skull." Happy growled. The prospect chuckled nervously before realizing who'd delivered the threat. He took a step back and looked up at the ceiling tiles. "Stop being an idiot. What do you want, Charlie?"

"Hi." She offered the prospect a smile but he refused to look at her. She twisted her mouth. "Can I just get a vodka cranberry?"

"Yes, ma'am." The prospect hurried away in search of cranberry juice. He would juice the damn berries himself if he had to. There was no way he was telling Happy's woman no. Charlie took a seat on a barstool as she waited for her drink. Happy took the opportunity to get his hands on her ass and smirked down at her playfully.

"You must be Charlie." Happy noticed her tense slightly at the sound of Tara's voice. "I'm Tara, Jax's old lady."

"Hi," Charlie said softly, sipping on her drink. She offered Tara a small smile. "You're a doctor, right?"

"Yeah. I heard you're a pilot." Tara smiled. Happy grimaced. Charlie laughed nervously and shook her head.

"Not anymore. I'm actually a yoga instructor now." Charlie said. Happy snapped his fingers at the prospect and ordered both he and Charlie another round.

"Really? I haven't been able to find a class less than an hour away. I was just getting into yoga when I left Chicago." Tara shared excitedly. Charlie seemed to relax more as she and Tara started talking about yoga and Chicago. Happy swapped her empty glass for the new drink and stepped away. She didn't seem to mind.

"How long have you and Jax been together?" Charlie asked, smiling as Happy walked away. Tara laughed and shook her head.

"It's hard to say. We met when we were kids and dated in high school. I left for college and we were broken up until about eight months ago. He got married, had a kid, and got a divorce in that time." Tara explained. Charlie's eyes widened, impressed that they ended up together after all that time apart and life changes.

"What about you and Happy?" Tara asked. Charlie felt her cheeks warm and start to blush.

"Just a couple of months. It's weird to think that it hasn't been that long." Charlie shrugged as Tara nodded.

"Well, when you know, you know," Tara said. "Take it from me, he's like a different person now. He actually seems happy now."

"I hope so." Charlie bit her bottom lip, knowing that he was still having a hard time dealing with the loss of Anita.

"No, really. I have overheard several croweaters and sweetbutts complaining about him ignoring them. You don't have to worry. I really don't think he would be the type to," she paused, noticing the concerned and confused look on Charlie's face. "Sorry."

"I feel like I'm missing something." Charlie was glad the man behind the bar had brought her another drink, even if it did look and taste like straight vodka instead of a vodka-cranberry. Tara sighed and started to explain everything.

* * *

"Your girl-toy is too damn sexy for your ugly ass," Tig said, pointing openly at Charlie as Happy joined him at the pool table. "Those sexy legs and that tight little ass. Do you even fit up in there? Bro, I'm not ashamed to say you got an inch or so on me. She'd probably appreciate it, I wouldn't hurt her too badly."

"The more you talk, the closer we get to needing a new Sergeant at Arms," Clay said with a laugh. Happy's grip on the pool cue was so tight that his rings were starting to dent the wood. Tig shrugged and patted Happy's shoulder.

"He knows I'm just teasing." Tig gave Happy a wink despite the cold glare the enforcer was giving him. "You do know that, right?"

"Don't try me." Happy hissed. Tig dropped his hand from Happy's shoulder with a nod. "Charlie is with me. She ain't a sweetbutt. That goes for all of you shit heads."

"We know, Hap. She's just so pretty." Kozik slurred. Happy smacked him on the back of the head. "Ouch. Uh, watch out."

"Hey, asshole." Kate stormed up to Happy and shoved his shoulder. She was obviously drunk or high on something or both. "You hurt me earlier."

"I told you to get out." Happy tipped his beer up to his lips. He was well aware of Charlie crossing the bar towards him. "Don't try that shit again."

"What?" She shoved his shoulder again. "That or fucking you senseless?"

"Excuse me," Charlie said, crossing her arms over her chest as she stopped beside Happy. He noticed the way it pushed her tits up a little. "You need to go on somewhere."

"Oh? Who are you?" Kate challenged. Charlie stepped forward and stood toe to toe with Kate. She didn't seem to let their height difference intimidate her.

"I'm the reason neither you nor any other woman is going to touch Happy again," Charlie stated. Happy watched Kate closely, waiting for any twitch of her hand towards Charlie. The blonde narrowed her eyes at his girl but didn't move to touch her. Instead, she stormed out of the clubhouse. Happy noticed Tara giving Charlie a discreet thumbs up. He'd have to pass along his thanks to Jax later. With a huff, Charlie turned back to Happy. "So do any of you actually play pool or do you just stand around with cues to look cool?"

"Is that a challenge, ginger?" Tig pointed a pool cue at her and wagged his eyebrows. Happy smirked, curious to see if she could back up her sass. Two hundred dollars and a whiny Tig later, he was impressed. "Your girlfriend hustled me."

"Nah, you just lost." Kozik bellowed. Tig shot him the middle finger and sulked away to find a croweater. Charlie and Happy stayed at the party for a couple more hours, socializing and making out. She had even talked him into dancing with her, even though he really just stood there while she danced on him. He liked it better that way.

* * *

"Was it as bad as you thought?" Happy asked, giving her a hand off his bike. She'd opted to ride with him instead of drive the truck to his house. She shook her head with a drunk smile. He followed her to the front door and unlocked it as she leaned against him. In the month following his mother's death, he'd patched over to SAMCRO and signed a lease for a three bedroom house a couple of streets down from Opie. Charlie visited every weekend and had started keeping some clothes there, despite Happy offering to go ahead and pay for her to break the lease on her home in Bakersfield.

"Happy?" Charlie turned to look at him as he took his cut off. He raised his brow. "Did you have sex with that blonde girl?"

"Not recently, baby." He watched her smile fade from her eyes. "Look, it's just club life. You don't have an old lady you take advantage of the girls you can get."

"I'm not your old lady." Charlie hiccuped and frowned. "They aren't like some mattress we can throw out, Hap. If I move here I'll have to see your conquests every time I go to the clubhouse."

"Girl, I can find shallow graves for them if that's what you want." Happy said, mostly joking. Charlie laughed and shook her head. "You're the closest thing I've had to an old lady. Only woman I've loved that didn't birth me."

"What?" Charlie blinked, picking up on what he'd said. Happy rolled his eyes. "You asked me to marry you but you never said it before."

"Yeah, I love you. You knew that." Happy grumbled. Charlie smiled brightly and took him by the hand, leading him to the guest bedroom that she used to store some of her extra exercise equipment. He raised a brow as she picked up a large, inflatable ball that he'd seen her rolling around on a few times.

"I have an idea." She purred.

"I am all ears, woman." He licked his lips hungrily and followed her back out to the living room where they had the most open floor space. Just when he thought sex was off the table for the night, she

got all kinky. He liked it. He liked it a lot.

* * *

"Why are you awake?" Happy grumbled. Charlie had been awake for over an hour, her mind racing. She rolled over, putting her back to him. "Charlie."

"Go back to sleep." She muttered, not ready to talk to him about what was on her mind. She didn't want confirmation yet.

"You going to tell me you're fine next? What's wrong?" He hooked his arm around her and tried to pull her to him. He only succeeded in getting her on her back. "Talk."

"You said not recently. What is not recently?" Charlie's heart was almost beating out of her chest, fearing his answer. Happy blinked. "The blonde, from the party."

"Charlie." He sighed and rolled to his back, staring up at the ceiling. "I didn't write it on a calendar. I don't know when it was."

"Was it since you moved here?" Charlie's fear was causing her to be irritable. He shook his head. "Since we started whatever this is?"

"Whatever this is?" Happy repeated. Charlie didn't respond. "What's got you worried about club pussy?"

"Club pussy? Jesus, Happy. They're women not blow up dolls." Charlie threw the sheets and blanket off her body and got out of the bed. She grabbed one of his t-shirts and pulled it over her head as she walked into the bathroom. She flinched, not meaning to slam the door quite so hard.

"What do you want?" Happy asked as soon as Charlie walked out of the bathroom. She pursed her lips and started gathering up the clothes they'd thrown around the night before. "You want to be with me then do it. I'm not begging you."

"I'm not asking you to beg me. I'm asking when the last time you fucked your blonde friend was. I'm not okay with side chicks or whatever. If you want to be with me, then you're with me only." Charlie snapped. Happy got off the bed and pulled a pair of sweat pants on.

"Two-way street." Happy growled, taking the clothes out of her hands and throwing them back on the floor. She scowled. "Haven't been with anyone else since I took time off the road before Ma died."

"Okay." Charlie's bottom lip trembled. She had almost convinced herself that he was screwing every sweet butt and croweater while she was in Bakersfield. She realized she couldn't handle the long distance much longer. "I'm sorry."

"Not doing this again, girl. The ball is in your court." Happy walked around her and into the bathroom. She heard the shower start as tears started rolling down her cheeks. After a couple of deep breaths, she pulled his shirt over her head and walked into the bathroom. Happy opened the shower door and pulled her inside.

"What did you cover up?" Happy asked, tracing the dark feather tattoo on Charlie's ribs. Her body was still wet from the shower and he could just make out a shape underneath the lines of the large tattoo. She took a deep breath and shifted her eyes away from him. "Your ex's name?"

"Something like that. I was young and dumb." Charlie remembered her tattoo artist trying to talk her out of getting a tattoo of her then husband's dog tags. "I got it covered up the night I found him in our bed with another woman."

"He's an idiot." Happy muttered. Charlie bit her bottom lip, realizing he hadn't read her military record too closely. He propped himself up on one arm and narrowed his eyes at her. "What?"

"He was an idiot," Charlie emphasized the past tense. Happy turned his head a little. "I guess they may have redacted his name from the report."

"The crash?" Happy asked. She nodded. "What happened?"

"We were on a night training mission over Afghanistan. Everything was business as usual and we were about to wrap up when my engine started malfunctioning. He wouldn't listen and kept saying I was being dramatic. I told him to clear off but he stayed right on my wing." Charlie paused. "When it started to roll, he couldn't get off my wing fast enough. He didn't even get to eject."

"Did they find out what happened?" Happy asked, searching her face for something. Charlie rolled her eyes.

"Officially it was a catastrophic engine malfunction. Unofficially my commanding officer thought I was trying to scare him in retaliation for cheating on me. When she couldn't prove it, she stonewalled me and I was forced to take a medical discharge." It had taken Charlie a long time to be able to talk about the crash and the aftermath. Despite her bad blood with her ex-husband, she never would have jeopardized his safety or his career over their failed marriage.

"She the one he was fucking?" Happy didn't seem surprised when Charlie nodded. "Why didn't you just come out with that?"

"It would have given her accusations a leg to stand on, a motive. She wasn't putting her career on the line by revealing it, so I didn't risk it." Charlie closed her eyes and shook her head. "Can we talk about anything else?"

"Yeah." Happy rolled over to his back and lifted an arm, inviting her to cuddle against his side. "Don't leave tonight."

"You know I have to. I have a morning class on Monday." Charlie whispered. He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly.

* * *

-One Month Later-

Happy slammed his fists into the punching bag, sending it swinging wildly. His knuckles were busted and bleeding but he barely felt the sting. He barely felt anything.

"You're gettin' blood everywhere, brotha," Chibs said, catching the punching bag and holding it still for Happy's next round of jabs.

"Don't care." Happy said, pausing his assault on the bag.

"Charlie still coming up this weekend?"Chibs asked while Happy punched the bag again.

"No. Told her to stay in Bakersfield." Happy punched the bag and knocked Chibs back a couple of steps. He hated making that phone call and hearing the disappointment in her voice. The Scott frowned and steadied himself again. "What?"

"Haven't seen her lately. Trying to keep her safe?" Chibs barely had the question out before Happy nodded. He waited to continue. "Wouldn't feel better having her close?"

"She's not common knowledge. No one's going to go looking for her." Happy growled. He had run all the possible scenarios and evaluated all the risk before he called her. He wouldn't have disappointed her without thinking it through. He missed her. He barely spent forty-eight hours with her over the last month. Things were the club and Zobelle's crew were getting worse and he didn't want her anywhere around it. "Looks like you want to say something."

"I've been where you're at, brother. Kept my wife as far from the fightin' as possible." Chibs said, stepping out from behind the bag. Happy dropped his hands to his side. "Lookin' back I wish I'd kept her close. May of kept Jimmy from gettin' at her."

"Don't think I have to worry about the IRA." Happy said, raising his fists to hit the bag again. He hit the bag once and then caught the bag as it swung back. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"Not going alone, brother. Go talk to Clay. I'll go down there with ya." Chibs said, clapping him on the shoulder. Happy took a deep breath and nodded.

* * *

Charlie taped the last moving box closed and sat down in the floor. She was frustrated and hurt that Happy had told her not to come up to Charming, again. It had been over three weeks since they had seen one another and it made her feel like she was living life in slow motion. Everything in Bakersfield felt like groundhogs day. She was going through the same motions, day in and day out. When he had called and told her not to come up, once again, she decided enough was enough.

"Hey," Charlie answered the phone and leaned her head back against the wall. She was done packing everything but she still had to pack the moving trailer before she tried to get some sleep.

"What are you doing?" Happy asked casually. She paused her answer when she heard a loud knock on the front door. Exhausted, she climbed to her feet.

"Sorry, someone is at the door. I'm trying to find my shoes." Charlie pushed her hand through her hair and huffed. "Hold on."

"No." Happy smirked as she opened the front door. She jumped into his arms and kissed him deeply. She had been stressed with packing and thinking about all the reasons he could have had for telling her to stay out of Charming. As soon as she saw him, those worries disappeared. "Miss me?"

"Yes!" Charlie gave him a little nod before kissing him again. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming down?"

"So you'd do this. Going somewhere?" Happy laughed, looking past her. Charlie playfully slugged his arm and slid back down to the ground. "You need help with anything?"

"Nah. Once I got started it felt like I was back in the Air Force. I got really good at packing back then." Charlie remembered packing to move bases as well as packing for deployments. It was all the same, just on different scales. "Come on, I still have a mattress."

"So bossy." Happy growled, following her down the hall. Charlie turned the lights out as they walked inside. "Babe."

"What?" Charlie asked, glancing back at him. Happy rarely called her anything besides her name or 'girl'. The pet name had caught her off guard.

"You're still trying to hide from me?" Happy turned the lights on and folded his arms. Charlie sighed. "Are you going to get dressed in the closet too?"

"No." Charlie looked at her hands and started picking at a chip in her nail polish. "It's just a habit. Sorry."

"Take your shirt off." Happy said, shrugging his cut off and hanging it on the back of the door. Charlie took a deep breath and pulled her tank top off. Her yoga pants sat low on her hips, so Happy could see almost all of the larger scar. He took his t-shirt off. "Take your bra off."

"Now who is being bossy?" Charlie said, unhooking her bra and pulling it over her head. "Your turn."

"Okay." Happy shrugged and took his boots and pants off, leaving him standing in nothing but his underwear. Charlie noticed fresh ink on his chest and stepped closer to get a better look. "Pants."

"Better?" Charlie peeled her pants off and tossed them back with her other clothes. Happy nodded and looked her over, his tongue running over his bottom lip. The ink on his chest took Charlie's mind off of her scars. He had added 'Anita' on his chest, close to his heart. She doubted many people would even notice the new ink amongst all his other tattoos. She bit her bottom lip and tried to fight back tears.

"What's wrong?" Happy asked. He sounded frustrated. Charlie shook her head, deciding not to ask him about the new tattoo yet.

"Nothing. I'm just glad you're here." Charlie reached forward and took his hand, pulling him to the mattress. "Do you want me, Hap?"

"Always, girl." Happy ran his hand up Charlie's whole leg as he crawled on the mattress with her. She let out a small moan and smiled. He took his time working her up, exploring her body with his hands and mouth. By the time he pulled her thong off, she was nearly whimpering at his touch. "You're mine, Charlie."

"Yes, yes, I'm yours." Charlie panted as he teased her more. "Please. It's been too long. I want you to fuck me."

"Yes, ma'am." Happy smiled hungrily and turned her onto her stomach. She raised her ass and hips, begging him to take her. Her nails scratched at the bare mattress as he entered her. She still wasn't used to his size and it could take her a minute to get comfortable. "You good?"

"Mhmm." Charlie pushed back towards him. He put his hand on her ass cheek and squeezed as he started moving in and out of her, gradually picking up the pace and force. The clapping of their bodies smacking together echoed in the empty bedroom. Charlie tightened her walls around him like she knew he liked.

"Fuck." Happy groaned, half pleased-half aggravated. Charlie was still panting from her own orgasm as she turned over. "Forgot the condom."

"It's fine. I have an IUD." Charlie kissed him on the cheek as she walked to the bathroom to clean up. He was already getting dressed when she returned. "What are you doing?"

"Chibs is waiting for us at the diner on Oak. Just came down here to get you." He kissed her deeply. "You were packing to come to Charming, right?"

"Yeah, but it will take a while to get everything in the trailer," Charlie said. "I don't get it. You told me not to come up there."

"I changed my mind." Happy shrugged. Charlie twisted her mouth, curious about his change of heart. "We can get someone to load the trailer tomorrow."

"Is everything okay?" She asked, pulling her yoga pants on.

"Will be, girl. Don't worry." He brushed her cheek with a kiss and walked out of the bedroom to call Chibs and let him know they were about to leave.


	7. Chapter 7

Charming was proving to be a hard adjustment for Charlie. It wasn't just the lack of Starbucks or big box supermarkets, it was the way everyone looked at her as if she was an intruder. After a run in with a couple croweaters at the clubhouse on her second day in town, Charlie decided to stick closer to home. She used the excuse of unpacking and organizing. She was enjoying herself well enough but Happy seemed worried about her spending so much time alone.

"There's a family dinner Sunday. You're coming." Happy said, shrugging his cut off and hanging it on the coat rack by the door. Charlie chose not to reply and focused on her breathing. She was trying to master an advanced pose that didn't afford her split concentration. Happy folded his arms and stared at her. Charlie tried to ignore it but his negative energy threw her off balance. With a sigh, she entered child's pose.

"I'd appreciate being asked." Charlie said. She couldn't see Happy but she could almost hear his eyes rolling. "Why do you want me to go?"

"Can you stop speaking at the floor?" Happy growled. Charlie pursed her lips and rose to her feet. "I want you to go because you're my girl."

"Was I invited?" Charlie had heard about the family dinners from Tara. They were always at Gemma's house and she still hadn't met the woman.

"You'll be with me, girl. Who's going to tell me no?" Happy put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer.

"Well when you put it that way," Charlie couldn't resist a small smirk. Happy smiled and Charlie could physically feel some of her stress melting away. She knew he didn't smile around many people and it made her feel special. "What am I even supposed to wear?"

"Anything that covers your tits and ass." Happy muttered, starting to trail kisses from her earlobe to her shoulder.

"You mean I can't wear these shorts?" Charlie teased. Happy shook his head, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of her tiny, yoga shorts.

"Won't be a fun dinner if I have to rip everyone's eyes out." Happy's lips moved against her collarbone. "Will you come with me?"

"Fine." Charlie squeaked as he jerked her off the floor and hoisted her onto his shoulder. "Happy, put me down."

* * *

"How do you bend like that?" Tara asked with a light laugh. Charlie released her pose and sat down, crossing her legs beneath her. "I can barely touch my toes anymore."

"I've been doing yoga since college. You'll get there." Charlie took the bottle of water Tara offered her and enjoyed a long drink. She and Tara were both covered in sweat. "Thanks again for coming over. I've been so stressed about the dinner tonight."

"No, thank you. It's nice to take a break from everything for a little while. Sometimes it feels like my whole life has been sucked into SAMCRO. I can't even remember the last time I did something for myself, away from the club." Tara took a sip of water before she continued. "I envy you. You seem to keep everything balanced."

"At least it looks that way." Charlie sighed and laid back on her yoga mat. "I feel so out of place when I'm at the clubhouse. Heck, I don't even look like I've hit puberty next to all the porn stars and croweaters."

"Really? Half of them are barely adults. They're just pumped full of silicone and fillers." Tara assured her. "I get feeling out of place though. It took a while for me to get back in the queen's good graces."

"Gemma?" Charlie was still nervous about meeting the queen of SAMCRO. She had heard horror stories. Tara nodded. "I've heard she isn't a fan of outsiders."

"She isn't but Happy is different. He's probably the one Son she wouldn't pick an argument with." Tara smiled. "You seem to have calmed him down a little though. He doesn't walk around looking angry at the world."

Charlie and Tara spent the rest of the morning talking about the club and their men. Charlie learned more about Tara and Jax's complicated history and was surprised to learn Abel's mother had almost killed him with her addiction. Tara listened to a list of Charlie's worries about being an 'old lady' one day and did her best to comfort her. Charlie was glad to have a friend in town, especially one that had been around the club and could help her with the customs and courtesies.

Charlie was smiling brightly and feeling less stressed by the time she walked up to the garage. After the yoga session with Tara, Charlie had decided to jog to see Happy at TM. He rolled out from under his truck as a couple hang arounds started whistling and catcalling. Luckily, Sundays weren't too busy at the clubhouse or the garage.

"Here." Happy tossed his hooded sweatshirt at Charlie as she neared the garage bay. She rolled her eyes and pulled the sweatshirt on, leaving it undone. Happy narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, zipping it up. "Told you about those shorts, baby."

"Happy, I was running. I'm not just shaking my ass on a picnic table." Charlie pulled him closer and kissed him deeply. His hands snaked around her hips and rested on her ass. "See? Everyone knows I'm yours."

"Don't mean they need to be looking. Come on," He growled. Charlie smiled and fell into step beside him as they walked to the clubhouse. On their way to one of the couches, she noticed an older woman with dark hair glaring at her from the bar. By her expression and what Tara had told her, Charlie assumed she was Gemma Teller-Morrow.

"I found a small place in town for a studio. It isn't anything fancy but it's big enough for at least fifteen people. Mrs. Oswald said a few of her friends have already told her they would sign up for a membership." Charlie told Happy excitedly. He nodded and pushed her hair away from her neck. His lips and tongue brushed against her sweaty skin. "Hap, are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah. Small studio in town. Rich people want to sign up. We'll talk to the realtor soon." He muttered against her shoulder. Happy and the majority of the club had been out on the road since Monday. She hadn't seen him since he had first mentioned the family dinner to her. By the way he was kissing her, she had a feeling he missed her too much for conversation.

"Are you almost done with the truck?" Charlie moaned as he gripped her thigh and kissed her neck again. "I need you to help me with something at home before we go to dinner."

"Something in the bedroom?" Happy muttered. Charlie giggled and nodded.

"Wherever." She whispered. Charlie had almost forgotten anyone else was in the clubhouse when she heard the clicking of high heels walking towards them.

"You must be Charlotte." Gemma planted her hands on her hips and looked down at Charlie as she rose from Happy's lap, feeling like she was a teenager caught making out behind the bleachers again.

"Everyone calls me Charlie." She said as nicely as she could. Her full first name was a pet peeve of hers. "You must be Gemma."

"I am." Gemma's expression didn't soften and Charlie started feeling her flight or fight response start to turn on. "How did you meet Happy?"

"Through his mother." Charlie had a pretty good feeling that it was public knowledge how she and Happy had met. Tara knew. Jax knew. She was pretty sure even Clay knew. There was no way Gemma was so oblivious. It just didn't make sense.

"Right, right. How exactly did you meet his mother?" Gemma's tone was anything but friendly. Charlie's jaw tightened.

"Watch it." Happy growled from behind her. He barely spoke about Anita outside of their home and even those moments were rare. Charlie crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. It was a simple question but from Gemma, it seemed more like an accusation.

"I taught yoga at the community center. Anita signed up for a class. Why do you ask?" Charlie spoke through tight teeth.

"Need to make sure you aren't some rat for the feds or something." Gemma hissed. Charlie rolled her eyes. "It would be easy to use a vulnerable old woman and those legs to get to a son."

"How dare you?" Charlie's voice cracked, betraying the tough face she was trying to put on. Happy sprung to his feet.

"Wait for me outside." Happy snapped. Charlie looked up and saw pure, hot rage written all over his face. She swallowed hard and shook her head, standing beside him. He looked at Gemma and plucked his toothpick out of his mouth. "If you ever try to accuse Charlie of using my mother again, I will personally break every bone in your body."

"With that ATF bitch around you never know. Happy, you know I didn't mean any disrespect towards your mother." Gemma gasped as he stepped towards her.

"If you had I wouldn't have given you a warning." He growled. Charlie cautiously slid her hand into his and gave it a little squeeze. It broke his attention away from Gemma and he looked down at her. "Let's go home, girl."

Happy noticed how abnormally quiet Charlie was on the drive home. She just sat in he passenger seat, picking at a loose string on the sleeve of his sweatshirt and staring out the window. He wasn't sure if it was because of Gemma's accusation, the mention of his mother or something else. When he stopped the truck in the driveway, she quickly got out and went inside. He sighed and turned the engine off before following her.

"Charlie, talk to me." Happy kept his distance from her, knowing she didn't like to be cornered when she was upset. He watched her closely, admiring her beauty. After a few minutes of silence, he took a careful step towards her.

"I've never seen you like that before. It made me realize there's a lot about you I probably don't know." Charlie said quietly. Happy sighed and shrugged his cut off, laying it on the back of the couch.

"Ask me anything you want, Charlie. I'm not hiding anything from you and I'm never going to hurt you." He meant it. Tattoo or not, he saw Charlie as his old lady and so did the majority of the club. He wasn't worried about her knowing too much. He trusted her.

"How many times have you been arrested?" Charlie asked. He stepped over to the couch so he could at least relax during their game of twenty questions.

"Six times. Longest stint was for felony assault. First time I was seventeen. Last time was a year ago but it was bullshit." Happy watched her face for shock or fear. She just nodded.

"I heard a rumor that the happy face tattoos are for kills."

"Told you what I did for the club months ago, baby." Happy noticed her start to pull her bottom lip in. "Do you think I would hurt you?"

"You said you wouldn't," Charlie said. Happy frowned and waved her over to the couch. She hesitated but eventually joined him. "There are eleven?"

"Yeah."

"Is one for the person that hurt me?" She brought her eyes up to meet his for the first time since they got home from the garage. He shook his head. "So there's been more than eleven?"

"Only two more. The one that hurt you and someone that hurt my mother." Happy's jaw tightened just thinking about what the man had done to his mother. It was over twenty years ago but he remembered everything about his mother's injuries and the way he'd killed the man. He felt Charlie's hand on his leg. "This change anything for you?"

"It depends," Charlie said, the smallest upturn to the corners of her mouth.

"On what?"

"What's your favorite ice cream?" Charlie asked quickly. Happy laughed and pulled her onto his lap. "Well?"

"Cookies and cream. What about you?" Happy relaxed as she got comfortable. Her head was resting on his shoulder.

"Cookie dough. Have you ever sold drugs?" He shook his head. "Used drugs?"

"Nothing stronger than marijuana or pain pills after a wreck." He had plenty of brothers that dabbled in Cocaine but he'd never tried it. He didn't want anything to do with uppers.

"Does it bother you that I've been married before?" Charlie's voice was soft. Happy sighed and turned his head to look at her. He was expecting more questions about his sordid past, not that.

"No, it doesn't. We've both got our own pasts." Happy stole a kiss and watched her blue eyes close slowly. "I love you, Charlie."

"I love you." She whispered, rotating her body so she was straddling him. "You know I would never be a rat or tell anyone about what you've told me, right?" Happy nodded and kissed her lips gently. "I don't want or need to know the in's and out's of the club, Happy. I just want to know you."

"I trust you, Charlie. He ran his hand up her sides and paused on her tattoo. Happy looked into her eyes as she smiled. "If you don't want it, I won't make you get a crow, baby. Doesn't mean you aren't my old lady. Just means you'll have to marry me eventually."

"You can ask me again one day," Charlie said. He kissed her deeply and pulled her bra off.

"That mean you're going to say yes?" Happy moaned and licked his lips as she undid his jeans and took him into her mouth. He was more than willing to wait for her answer. Just as she brought him to the very edge, she pulled away. He grunted, watching her slowly walking away, pulling her tiny shorts off as she left the living room. "You're going to pay for that."

* * *

Charlie had hoped that Happy would decide to skip the dinner after the run-in with Gemma at the clubhouse. Instead, she found herself sitting between he and Tig at Gemma's large dining room table. She felt like she was behind enemy lines. The queen had completely ignored her since the time she and Happy got there.

"You tired of that jerk yet?" Tig whispered loudly. Charlie rolled her eyes. She liked Tig but his comedy wasn't helping her anxiety. "Blink twice if he's holding you against your will."

"Shut up." Happy growled. He didn't seem much happier about being at the dinner than Charlie did.

When Jax and Tara finally arrived, twenty minutes late, Gemma brought dinner to the table. Everything looked delicious but Charlie had lost her appetite. She pushed the food around on her plate silently, listening to the different conversations going on around her. Happy and Chibs were talking about Kozik going down to see Annie again, Tig was picking on Juice for something and Gemma was fussing at Jax. It seemed like a fairly normal family dinner but Charlie didn't feel like a part of it. She felt like a fly on the wall.

"I could barely move after I took a nap with Abel," Tara said, catching Charlie's attention. "When do you think you'll have a studio up and running?"

"It just depends on when I find a space for it. Happy and I are going to look at a building soon." Charlie smiled as Happy's hand moved to her thigh supportively.

"Charming isn't usually into the hippie, healing crystals junk." Gemma chuckled.

"Yoga has been around for thousands of years. It's really good for circulation and flexibility." Juice offered, mouth full of food. "I can get your flyers or business cards up at Clear Passages."

"Clear Passages?"

"He owns part of a colonic spa and dispensary," Tig explained. Charlie nodded slowly and offered Juice a smile.

"That would be really great, Juice. I'll get those to you as soon as I have them." Charlie said, noticing Gemma's eyes rolling. "I would be happy to lead you through a session, Gemma. Women your age really benefit from the increased circulation."

"My age?" Gemma hissed. Charlie smiled sweetly. "I still have plenty of fight in me, little girl."

"I'm just saying, women have reported that starting yoga before menopause made the hot flashes and irritability a lot easier to manage and cope with." Charlie shrugged.

"Easy, ladies. Easy." Tig laughed as Gemma stood up. Charlie knew she had hit a nerve. She continued smiling as Gemma glared at her. Eventually, conversations around the table picked back up, including Charlie and Juice talking about medicinal marijuana. Dinner ended and Charlie offered to help clear the table.

"That's okay. I would hate for you to pull a muscle." Gemma snapped. Happy smirked and kissed the side of Charlie's head.

"You ready to go?" Happy asked, rubbing her thigh. Charlie nodded and stood up from the table. They said their goodbyes and headed out to the driveway. "You did good."

"I thought so." Charlie gave him a wink.

* * *

Happy woke up just before two in the morning with Charlie sound asleep beside him, her back pressed against his side. He laid there, staring at the ceiling fan and thinking about the things he hadn't told her yet. She didn't know about the guns or the issues with the ATF. She didn't know about Donna or the numerous members on the cusp of hard time for weapons charges. He sighed and quietly crawled out of the bed, hoping a joint could calm his mind down enough to fall back to sleep.

"Hey," Charlie whispered, stepping onto the back porch in nothing but his t-shirt. Her hair was all over the place from their sex and couple hours sleep. "Want to share?"

"Sure." He passed the joint to her and watched the bottom of his shirt slide up her legs a little as she took a big hit. "I need to tell you something."

"I'm listening." She said, passing the joint back to him. Happy told her everything about the club's weapons problems. From hiding guns in septic trucks to more than half the club charging into a church meeting with automatic weapons. He told her everything he could without putting her in any danger. She sat in the swing on the back porch and listened to everything without interrupting.

"In a few months, the only members on the outside will be me, Chibs, and Kozik." Happy was still irritated that he wasn't going inside with his brothers. He knew they would need protection; inside, numbers were protection.

"The hit on the church happened while you were in Bakersfield?" Charlie asked. Happy nodded and lit another joint. "Is there anything I can do to help while they're gone?"

"Probably not. Just gonna have to be patient with me." He said, proud that she cared enough about the club to ask that. Charlie smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I'm a lot of things, Happy. I can't say that patient has ever been one of them but I'll try." Her smile faltered and she took a deep breath. Happy braced for the 'but'. "I'm not really okay with the guns, Hap. I've seen what AK's can do in the hands of the wrong people."

"If it makes you feel better we also own a porn studio." Happy said, hoping to pause the heavy conversation for the night. The clubs weapons business was something he couldn't control. It was something that wasn't going to change, not as long as Clay had the gavel. He grimaced as she slugged his arm. She was small but she knew how to throw a proper punch.

"Just promise me you'll be careful." Charlie yawned.

"With the porn or the guns?" Happy teased. She scowled at him and he couldn't resist the urge to laugh. "I'm kidding, baby. Come on, let's go back to bed."

* * *

Agent June Stahl closed the car door and pushed her sunglasses up to the top of her head. The surveillance team she had assigned to Happy Lowman's house had alerted her as soon as he left that morning. With Happy and several other members meeting at the clubhouse, she had a good feeling they were going on some type of run, giving her ample time to talk to the newest old lady. Just to be safe, she kept a detail on the clubhouse to let her know if Happy returned early. There were some members she trusted not to harm her, Happy Lowman was not one of them.

"Good morning," Stahl said with a smile. Charlie noticed how her eyes scanned her body slowly. She zipped Happy's hoodie up, feeling overexposed in her sports bra and shorts.

"Who are you?" She asked, folding her arms over her chest. Stahl moved her eyes up from Charlie's legs and offered a handshake. Charlie didn't move.

"June Stahl, ATF."

"Sorry, not interested. Have a good morning." Charlie moved to close the door, but Stahl stuck her booted foot in the way. "What do you want?"

"I heard you and Happy Lowman are an item." Stahl smiled again, making Charlie uncomfortable. "He didn't strike me as the boyfriend type."

"Oh, you're jealous? Sorry. I don't date women." Charlie said. Stahl chuckled and put her hand on the door. "If you don't mind, I have things to do."

"Have you and your boyfriend talked about what the club does? How it is he affords this house on a mechanic salary?" Stahl asked quickly. Charlie ran her tongue over her top teeth as she considered her answer.

"Yeah, of course. They ride motorcycles, raise money for charities and have parties. He's frugal." Charlie smiled. "What were you hoping to hear about? Massive orgies and human sacrifices?"

"You were top of your class at the University of Tennessee and a decorated Air Force pilot, Ms. Dover. Playing stupid doesn't suit you." Her patience was wearing thin and the longer she stayed at the club enforcer's home, the more danger she put herself in.

"If you know that much about me then you know who my father is. I don't think he would appreciate you harassing me and it would probably come up in conversation with his friends during their next golf game." Charlie noticed the woman's strong jaw tighten. "As I said, I have things to do today."

"Nice to meet you," Stahl said to the closed door. Her sources had told her that the woman's relationship with her father was strained at best. It was entirely possible that she was bluffing about reaching out to her father but Stahl wasn't prepared to risk her career for what seemed like a dead-end lead.

* * *

****I know, I know, I left it with a bit of a cliff hanger. I'm still blown away by all the support you all have shown me over the past six chapters! Thank you so very much! It means the world to me****


	8. Chapter 8

Charlie buttoned her white blouse and stepped into her most respectable nude pumps. She and Happy had an appointment with the landlord about the studio space she had found. After lengthy discussion, she decided she didn't want to bring it to the club. For the time being, she wanted the business to be hers alone. Happy respected her decision and didn't try to sway her towards the club. It was a relief after she'd lost sleep worrying he would be upset.

"Are you going to make it?" She asked, putting her phone call with Happy on speaker. He had club business down in Oakland earlier in the day and there was a wreck on the highway.

"Yeah. I'll have to meet you there. Just getting fuel right now." Happy had promised he would be there but Charlie knew he was busy. She would have understood if he couldn't make it but she was glad to have him by her side. "Be careful, okay?"

"Happy it's a five minute drive. You be careful." Charlie laughed. Happy said he would and ended the call. Someone knocked on the door as Charlie picked up her keys and handbag. She wasn't expecting anyone and after her unwelcome visitor that morning, she wasn't taking any chances. With her hand on the gun in her bag, she opened the front door. "Gemma. What are you doing here?"

"You didn't respond to my message," Gemma said, looking past Charlie and into the living room. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by."

"I'm sorry. I have a meeting I need to be on time to." Charlie said, pulling the door closed behind her as she stepped onto the front porch. She turned and locked the deadbolt before stepping around Gemma so she could get to Happy's truck.

"Nice little home you and Happy have here." Gemma said, following Charlie. The younger woman turned around with a scowl. "How would you feel about a house warming party?"

"I would feel like you don't like me enough to do that. You're welcome to stand out here in the front yard but I really need to go." Charlie got into the truck and closed the door before Gemma could respond. Ever since the family dinner two weeks before, Gemma had been nothing but cold towards Charlie. So, she was suspicious about Gemma's motivation behind visiting her.

"You must be Charlotte." The landlord said as Charlie walked up to the building. Charlie extended her hand to him with a smile. "I'm Roger."

"Nice to meet you. Please, call me Charlie." She glanced at her watch, Happy still had five minutes. "I appreciate you meeting with us."

"Not a problem. When my wife heard you might be opening a yoga studio she wouldn't let me say no. She's all about the new age healing and essential oils." Roger chuckled. Charlie smiled, looking over her shoulder as a motorcycle approached. She noticed Happy wasn't alone. Juice was riding right beside him. They both backed their bikes against the curb but only Happy got off and walked towards Charlie. As soon as he took his sunglasses off, she was certain something had gone wrong. She could see it in his eyes.

"Can we head inside?" Charlie asked Roger sweetly. He nodded and unlocked the front door. Happy held the door open for Charlie and stepped inside after looking up and down the sidewalk. "What business was in this space before?"

"A flower shop. The owners moved to the East Coast last year." Roger explained. "There aren't many new businesses popping up in Charming. After Mr. Zobelle opened his cigar shop down the street I gave up on renting this place out."

"Lucky us." Happy said flatly. Charlie gave him a look, begging him to behave. "What would you need to change in here?"

"Well, I would love to either refinish the concrete floors or put down hardwood. This backroom would easily be changed into a dressing room and some light, neutral paint would be about it." Charlie was pleased with everything else. Happy nodded and looked to Roger.

"What are we looking at for rent?" Happy asked, rubbing Charlie's lower back.

"Is the club involved?" Roger asked. Charlie was a little surprised by the question. She wasn't aware club affiliation would affect the lease. Happy shook his head. "$600 a month plus three months up front."

"If the club was involved?" Charlie asked.

"$450." Roger said. She resisted the urge to frown. It frustrated her that being independent from the club was going to cost her almost two grand a year.

"Thank you again for meeting with us. I'll reach out to you tomorrow with a decision." Charlie said, a little deflated. They said their goodbyes and she followed Happy to his bike, worried to see Juice still sitting there. "What's going on?"

"Shit went sideways in Oakland. We're going on lockdown." Happy said. She knew he wouldn't talk about club business out on the open street. As he told her the plan for the next hour, Charlie noticed a man down the street who was watching them closely. "Charlie?"

"There's a man down the street watching us." Charlie faked a happy tone and big smile. Happy nodded. "I'm going to get in the truck and head home."

"It's okay, girl. Nothings going to happen to you." Happy grabbed her belt and tugged her to him. She arched her back a little as he kissed her possessively. When he pulled back, he whispered in her ear, "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

"I know." She smiled and walked across the street to the truck. The man's attention was focused on her. It made the small hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Charlie's knuckles were white as she drove home. She knew Happy and Juice were behind her but she kept checking the rearview mirror anyways. This wasn't Afghanistan. She wasn't in her jet. She was on the ground. She was vulnerable.

"Charlie?" She jumped at her name. Happy had pulled his bike alongside the truck and killed the engine. "Look at me. You're okay. We're almost home."

"Okay." Charlie breathed out and realized she hadn't been breathing. She had stopped at a light but couldn't remember how long it had been since it turned red. Happy started his bike again and pulled ahead of the truck, waving for her to follow him. Juice stayed behind the truck. It was like a tiny convoy.

"Stay out here." Happy told Juice as he got off his bike and walked over to Charlie. She had managed to drive home and get out of the truck without further incident. "Come on."

"I'm sorry. I feel like an idiot." Charlie was starting to get frustrated with herself. She had frozen. She had put them in even greater danger. "I used to be fearless. I used to be a fucking fighter pilot."

"Hey, stop." Happy closed the drawer she was rummaging through. "You're the second strongest woman I've ever known. Okay?"

"Okay." Charlie looked down, knowing he was referring to Anita as the first. She missed her dearly. "She would have given that jackass a piece of her mind."

"Yeah, she probably would have." Happy's tone lightened. Charlie took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him. "I told her about that first time you hugged me. She griped at me for not kissing you that night."

"She was right. You should have." Charlie managed a genuine smile before stepping back from him. "Give me ten minutes and I'll have our bags packed."

"I'll get mine." He kissed her forehead and walked to the closet. "Hey, Charlie?"

"Yeah, baby?" She looked over and saw him smirk.

"Leave the damn yoga shorts here," he said. She laughed and pulled her tie-dyed shorts back out of her bag.

* * *

Happy dropped his saddlebags off his shoulder as he walked into the room he and Charlie were sharing. It was the second night of lockdown and he was exhausted. There was an issue with the security system, so he and Juice had stayed up the whole first night fixing the issue and watching the perimeter the old fashioned way. When the club rolled out the next morning, they had only gotten about two hours of sleep.

"Charlie?" Happy was concerned when she wasn't in the bed. He checked the bathroom but it was empty. He wouldn't have missed her in the main room, so where the hell could she be. He hurried out of the room in search of her.

"Have you seen Charlie?" He asked Kozik after nearly running into him.

"Yeah, she was in the gym with Tara. What's up?" Kozik followed Happy down the hall. Just like he said, she and Tara were safely in the gym doing yoga. Happy's chest was rising and falling rapidly.

"What are you doing?" He snapped loudly. Charlie fell out of her pose and grabbed her wrist with a hiss. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep. Ow." Charlie winced as she rubbed her wrist. "You scared the shit out of me. I was trying to work on my hummingbird."

"I scared you?" He snapped again and Charlie rolled her eyes. "Don't be a bitch because I was worried about you."

"Worried about me? I'm in the clubhouse. What did you think happened to me?" Charlie snapped back.

"Let me look at your wrist," Tara said, walking to Charlie. Happy shook his head as she jerked away. "Charlie."

"No. It's fine. I'm up past my bedtime. I'll see you in the morning if I'm not grounded." Charlie shoved past Happy and turned towards their room. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You were kind of a dick," Kozik said. Happy nodded, feeling guilty for getting her hurt and snapping at her. "You might want to let her cool down. She's a sweetheart but she's also a redhead. Their tempers have left scars before, man."

"Don't listen to him." Tara scoffed. "She was worried about you all day and the croweaters were complete bitches to her."

"What did they do?" Happy turned his attention to Tara. She opened her mouth and closed it quickly. "Tara?"

"Just high-school level drama. Kate was running her mouth about Charlie not having a crow yet and just being a bitch." Tara was obviously hiding more information but that was enough for him to work with. He nodded and left the gym.

He stalked out to the main room where he had seen Kate sitting on Chib's lap. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her putting his girl in a bad mood. She'd gotten her one free warning. Kate scrambled away from Happy as soon as she saw him.

"Hey, hold on," She said. He ignored her plea. "Happy, I didn't mean to make you mad."

"Happy." He turned to see Charlie standing just a couple feet behind him. She had wrapped her wrist with a sports bandage and was holding it against her stomach. "Just come to bed, please."

"Really? You're going to let her boss you around? At least I know how to show some respect." Kate called after Happy turned his back to her. The whole room went quiet. Charlie huffed and walked past him. He watched her punch Kate right in the nose with her injured wrist.

"I'll be in bed." Charlie hissed through her teeth as several of his brothers laughed. Chibs offered Kate a towel for her nose but she pushed it away. Happy shook his head and got some ice.

"Here, Rocky." Happy handed Charlie the bag of ice and sat on the end of the bed. She didn't speak and stayed away from him. "I'm sorry. I got worried when I couldn't find you."

"You told me not to leave until the lockdown was over, Happy. I told you I wouldn't." Charlie's voice was tight and he knew she was pissed at him. He hadn't heard her angry in a long time. "You treated me like a child."

"I know." He pulled his boots off before moving closer to her.

"You scared me and I hurt my wrist." Her voice was starting to return to normal.

"In my defense, you were all twisted up and balancing on one hand." Happy said. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What were you going to do to Kate?" She asked, letting him lay his head on her lap.

"Throw her out of the clubhouse and ban her from coming back." He said. It wasn't something he normally bothered with but she'd messed with his girl. "You're the one that broke her nose."

"My wrist really hurts now." Charlie admitted. Happy sat up and forced himself off the bed. "Where are you going?"

"To get Tara to look at your wrist, Rocky." He dodged the pillow she pathetically threw with her uninjured arm. He looked back and shook his head. "Weak."

"Hap?" Charlie rolled over to face him. Tara had checked her wrist out and diagnosed her with a sprain. She had specific instructions to keep pressure off of it for the next few days. After she left their room, Happy and Charlie had climbed into bed. She knew he was exhausted but she had to get something off her chest. He turned his head to look at her. "An ATF agent came by the house to talk to me while you were in Oakland."

"Stahl?" Happy guessed. Charlie nodded. "She's been up our ass all year. Did she threaten you?"

"No but she wouldn't leave, so I threatened to tell my father she was bothering me." Charlie felt her lungs constricting. She knew she should have told him about her father weeks if not months ago. Happy rolled over and propped himself up on his forearm.

"Why would that bother her?" Happy asked. She could practically see the gears grinding in his mind as he thought of all the possibilities. Charlie bit her bottom lip.

"My father is a District Court judge." Charlie swallowed hard. "I should have told you before."

"Fuck, Charlie." Happy sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. Charlie's heart started pounding as he sat there silently. She wished she hadn't said anything or would have said something long ago. The longer he sat there, the worse she felt.

"Say something. Please." Charlie pleaded. Happy turned his head and looked at her. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking my old lady just told me her father is a federal judge. Damnit, Charlie. Do you get how it's going to look when Clay finds out? You think Gemma calling you a rat was bad?" Happy closed his eyes and shook his head sadly.

"I haven't talked to him since I left the Air Force, Happy. I don't even remember the last time I talked to my mother. I wouldn't tell him anything." Charlie started feeling sick to her stomach. "I love you."

"I know you wouldn't but the club doesn't, Charlie. It's hard to get their trust, especially these days." He fell back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. "Don't tell anyone else. I'll figure it out. Just gotta hope Stahl doesn't try to flip that shit one you."

"What about us?" Charlie choked. Happy looked over at her and saw tears in her eyes. He moved his arm, inviting her to cuddle against him. She put her head on his chest and he felt warm tears pool on his skin.

"I love you, Charlie." Happy smoothed her hair and took a deep breath. "We'll figure it out."

* * *

Charlie woke up mid-afternoon. Happy's side of the bed was cold and her wrist was sore from falling and punching Kate. She felt groggy and considered going back to sleep. She didn't have much else to do while confined to the clubhouse, lot and garage. Curious to see where Happy was, she picked up her phone to send him a text. It started vibrating as soon as she opened it.

"Tara? Wait, slow down." Charlie kicked the sheets and blanket off. Tara was talking fast and seemed panicked. It was hard to really understand what was going on.

"She took the car and sped off. Half-sack followed her. I'm home with Abel. Charlie, I think she's going to do something stupid." Tara was still speaking quickly but Charlie got the just of what was going on. She knew Happy would be pissed if she left the clubhouse but she couldn't leave Tara with no protection. She didn't bother finding a clean shirt and just pulled Happy's hooded sweatshirt on.

"I'll be there in five," Charlie said before closing the phone and sliding it in the back pocket of her jeans. She snatched the truck keys off the dresser and hurried out of the room. The clubhouse felt like a ghost town. She didn't see a single person until she got to the gate. "Open the gate."

"No. We're still on lockdown." The man said. She recognized him as one of the hang arounds that was trying to get one of the guys to sponsor him as a prospect. Charlie twisted her mouth.

"Open the gate and I'll put in a good word to Happy. I know you want to prospect." Charlie bargained. He shook his head with a laugh.

"Happy doesn't take on prospects and he'd be pissed if I let you leave." He said. Charlie pursed her lips and took a deep breath, already feeling guilty for what she was about to say.

"He'd be more pissed that you touched me and tried to push up on me while he was gone." Charlie watched his eyes widen. "Open the gate."

"He'll kill me."

"For letting me go? No. For hurting me? Probably." Charlie motioned to the gate. He stormed over to the lock and chain, pulling them off and rolling the gate open. "Sorry."

Charlie sped towards Jax's house, thankful for the lack of traffic in Charming. When she got there, Half-sack's bike was in the driveway. Charlie parked the truck on the curb, wondering if things had worked already. She jogged to the front door and let herself in.

"Tara!" She was leaning against the kitchen cabinets, sobbing into her hands. Charlie rounded the corner and found Half-sack with a knife in his stomach. He was coughing up blood and the color had drained from his face. "Fuck. Tara! Call 9-1-1!"

Charlie grabbed a kitchen towel and wrapped it around the blade of the knife. She was no doctor but her survival training taught her that removing the knife would cause more blood loss. Half-sack grabbed her hand and struggled to say something. Before he could raise his head, he stopped breathing. Charlie started CPR, yelling at Tara to call someone. During her fifth cycle of compressions, she heard motorcycles approaching.

"What happened?" Jax hollered, skidding to a stop in the kitchen. Charlie's brow was dripping sweat as she pushed her palms onto Half-sack's chest and Tara was still crying. "Where's Abel?"

"He took him. I tried…I tried to." Tara sobbed. Charlie paused her compressions. Jax grabbed Tara's arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Who, Tara! Who took him!" Jax yelled. Charlie checked Half-sack's pulse again. Nothing. She had been trying for at least fifteen minutes and her jeans were covered in his blood. She looked around her and noticed the whole floor was covered in his blood. He was gone. Half-sack was gone and Abel had been taken.

"Hey." Charlie looked up at the sound of Happy's voice. Her blue eyes were dull and lifeless. Her jeans were dark with blood. He stepped towards her and saw dried blood on her neck and hands. "Let's go home, girl."

"I'm sorry," Charlie muttered. She didn't move from the chair in the all too familiar interrogation room. Unser stood up from the other side of the table and walked over to Happy.

"You did everything you could, Charlie. Go home," Unser said. He nodded to Happy and left the room. Charlie bit her bottom lip and slowly shook her head.

"He was just a kid," She said sadly. Happy stepped forward and gently pulled her up out of the chair. "Have they found Abel?"

"Not yet, baby." Happy hated the hollowness in her voice. He knew there was nothing he could do to fix it. "Do you need help?"

"No." Charlie sighed. "I'm sorry I left the clubhouse."

"It's okay." He lied. It wasn't okay. If she had been there just five minutes earlier, she could have died beside Half-sack. He had planned on yelling at her until he saw her sitting in the police station. As soon as he saw her, he was just thankful she was okay. There was no use in making her feel bad for trying to help. "I'm just glad you're okay."

* * *

Three weeks after lockdown, everyone's world was still turned upside down; Gemma was on the run and accused of murder, Abel was kidnapped and Half-sack had given his life trying to protect Tara and Abel. In light of everything going on, Charlie put her business plans on hold and focused on helping Happy and the club. She found herself patching him up and washing blood out of clothes on several occasions. When she wasn't playing nurse, she was keeping things running at the garage and in the clubhouse. Stepping into Gemma's shoes made her realize just how stressful it was to be one woman managing both.

When Clay told her to come to church one day, she assumed she had done something wrong or he had found out about her father. The garage was running fairly smoothly but the clubhouse was another matter. Few of the croweaters liked Charlie and the new prospects were too busy with club business to help out. She found herself doing most of the work herself. So, she went home feeling exhausted almost every night. Tara had offered to help but being at the clubhouse seemed to be too difficult for her following what happened.

After all the patched members walked into church and sat around the table, Charlie nervously followed one of the prospects inside.


	9. Chapter 9

"Come here." Happy offered her his hand from his seat. She shook her head and stood by the door, feeling more comfortable with a solid escape route. He frowned and turned back to the large reaper carved in the table.

"We've got solid intel that Abel is in Ireland." Clay started. Charlie saw the majority of the bikers shaking their heads or frowning at the revelation. She already knew. Happy had told her several hours before. "Oswald has arranged transportation for us on a cargo plane but we've run into a problem."

"The pilot backed out when he heard most of us were out on bond. He's got a history and doesn't want to risk catching charges." Jax said. Charlie could see how tired he was. Ever since his son's kidnapping, Tara had been staying in Happy and Charlie's guest bedroom. She felt so much guilt, she couldn't even be in the same house as Jax. "That's where you come in, Charlie."

"What?" She felt as if he had just slapped her across the face. Happy didn't tell her why she was coming to their meeting, only that Clay had insisted. She saw Happy turnaround and walk over to her but it barely registered in her mind. "Did you know?"

"No, girl." Happy said quietly. Jax pushed his hand through his hair and motioned towards Charlie.

"You were a pilot in the Air Force, right?" He asked. Charlie's mouth went dry and she barely felt Happy's hand that she knew was pressing firmly on her lower back. "I wouldn't ask you to do this if I had any other choice."

"I can't." Charlie shook her head. "I flew F-16's, not cargo planes or airliners."

"They all go up and fly around, don't they?" Tig asked from her left. Charlie narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah, they all go up and fly. One is jet-propelled and one isn't. One is small and nimble; the other is heavy and slow." Charlie snapped. "Look, I'm sorry. Even if I could fly the plane, I haven't flown since the crash."

"Oh, great. Our back-up pilot is a kamikaze." Tig laughed. Happy slapped him in the back of the head.

"Fuck you, Tig." He growled. Charlie shook her head and looked up at Happy. "I'm not going to force you."

"I'm sorry." Charlie turned and left the room in tears. Her chest tightening as she ran for the closest garbage can. Happy joined her after a few minutes of loud arguing around the table. She was still coughing and nearly throwing up every couple minutes. "I can't, Happy."

"We'll find another way." Happy said, rubbing her back. Charlie groaned and clutched her stomach. She slid down onto the floor and put her head on her knees.

"No, you won't. You're not going to find many pilots willing to put their license on the line for a bunch of outlaw bikers." Charlie started taking deep breaths. After a couple of minutes, she stood up and started walking towards the bathroom. Happy tried to help her, but she pushed him away. "I'll do it, okay? I'll do this for Jax."

"There's a but at the end of that. Talk to me, Charlie." Happy followed her to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and gargled mouthwash before she nodded.

"I'll do this for the club but after we get back, I'm going to visit my brother in Seattle." Charlie's heart ached as she spoke the words. Happy's jaw tightened and she knew she had hurt him, even if he would never admit it. "I need to get away from this war zone for a while, Happy."

"What's a while?" He asked flatly. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Are you even planning on coming back?"

"I don't really have a choice," Charlie said quietly. "I was waiting for a good time to tell you. You know, sometime before the kidnapping and murder. Even before the shootout at the funeral would have been okay."

"You're pregnant." Happy cut her ramblings off. She stopped abruptly and nodded. He sighed and stepped into the small bathroom, hugging her to him. "How long?"

"Six weeks. Apparently, we're part of the 1% that get pregnant on an IUD." Charlie relaxed a little as he held her. She had expected him to be upset about the baby. Heck, she had been upset about it for a few days.

"Don't leave, Charlie." Happy kissed her forehead and brushed hair out of her face. She sighed and her eyes starting filling with tears again. "You leave and you won't come back."

"I'm not leaving you, Hap. I'm taking a break from this; the bloodshed, the danger, the death. My family doesn't even know I moved, Happy. My brother should at least know I'm living with someone that I'm going to have his first niece or nephew with." Charlie frowned as his expression hardened. He wasn't listening to her. He heard that she was leaving and wouldn't hear beyond that. "I love you, Happy. I'll come back. Just give me a couple of weeks."

"Do whatever you have to. I can't stop you." He gave her a short kiss and stepped back. "I'll tell Jax you'll fly the plane."

* * *

Charlie couldn't sleep that night. She had studied what she could find on the internet pertaining to the plane the club had lined up. It was the civilian version of a C-130, which she had flown twice and hated. Between the baby and her stress, her stomach was in knots. Happy came home late and went straight to bed after a shower. They barely spoke ten words to one another before he fell asleep.

"Charlie." She woke up with a start. She was on the couch with her laptop on the floor, still playing a video of the plane she was lined up to fly. Happy offered her a cup of coffee. "I packed you a bag. I don't know how long this is going to take."

"Thank you." Charlie took the cup and sipped on the coffee. "What time is it?"

"Six. We need to leave soon." Happy said, sitting down beside her. She took a deep breath and handed him the cup back, feeling sick. She wasn't sure if it was the thought of flying or normal morning sickness. "Are you going to be able to do this?"

"What?" Charlie snapped, wiping her mouth off with a cold washcloth. Happy scowled. "You agree with Tig now?"

"No, I don't. I'm worried about the mother of my child flying a plane for ten hours." He snapped back. Charlie took a deep breath and blew it out through her nose before speaking.

"Pregnant people fly all the time. I'll be fine. Not like we'll be doing barrel rolls." She walked past him and picked her bag up off the bed. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." He shot at her, grabbing his keys off the dresser. They drove to the clubhouse in silence. Charlie's stomach was still churning but she refused to throw up again. She didn't want to give him more of a reason to question her abilities.

"Morning, sunshine." Kozik smiled and took Charlie's bag. She offered him a smile as she took a bag of food from Bobby. "You okay?"

"I didn't sleep much." Charlie shrugged. Kozik looked from Charlie to Happy who was standing several yards away but staring right at her.

"Guessing it wasn't from pre-flight fucking." Kozik laughed as she smacked his chest. "Need me to beat him up? I'll bravely try for you, my lady."

"You're such a nerd." Charlie laughed, feeling a minute amount of stress relief. "I need to talk to Jax. Are you going with us?"

"Yep." Kozik smiled, loading bags into the van. Charlie nodded and walked over to Jax and Happy. She avoided looking at her man and focused on Jax and the task at hand.

"Do you have the manifest?" She asked, starting a mental checklist of things she needed to do before takeoff. He shook his head. "Is there going to be other cargo on the plane?"

"I think there's some lumber but it doesn't need to be delivered. Just there for appearances." Jax said, lighting a cigarette. Charlie stepped away from the smoke.

"Lumber isn't light, Jax. I need to know if we're talking about a couple of hundred pounds or a couple thousand." Charlie said.

"We'll figure it out when we get there." Happy said. Charlie shook her head and looked over at him. "Does it matter right now?"

"Nah. It won't matter until we're running out of fuel because we can't calculate the payload into the range." Charlie snapped. Happy scowled and pulled her towards the garage. "Let go."

"You think he knows how many pounds of fucking wood is on the plane? He's just worried about his kid. We'll find out before we take off. Stop being difficult." Happy kept his voice low so no one else could hear them. Charlie closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm worried about everyone on that plane. It matters. I'm not being difficult." She used air quotations when she said difficult. Happy shook his head and moved to walk past her. She caught his arm. "I'm nervous."

"Don't be." He kissed her forehead and walked to the van. She scoffed and slowly followed him.

"Of course. Why didn't I think of that? Just don't be nervous." Charlie muttered under her breath before she got to the group. Juice handed her the manifest. "Thank you."

"Hey. Sit up front." Happy said, catching her before she stepped into the back of the van. She realized it was a lot safer than riding in the back of the cargo van with everyone else and the bags, so she didn't argue.

Oswald met Charlie at the rear of the plane as everyone carried their bags into the cargo area. He looked more nervous than Charlie felt. She was about to ask him if something was wrong when Gemma stepped out of the plane.

"Seriously? What are you doing here, Mom?" Jax asked, pulling her away from the plane. Charlie shook her head. It was one thing to smuggle the guys out while they were on bond. Smuggling Gemma out while she was a fugitive was an entirely different and entirely worse idea.

"He's my grandson. You can't stop me from going." Gemma yelled. Charlie was glad her sunglasses hid her rolling eyes.

"We need to go, Jax. If she's not coming she needs to clear the runway." Charlie said, leaning out of the cargo area. She had finished all of her preflight checks and was ready to start the engines. Jax, Clay, and Gemma were still arguing outside. A couple of minutes later, all three of them walked into the plane. Charlie nodded and closed the cargo bay door. "Sit down and strap in."

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Happy asked, walking into the cockpit and sitting in the co-pilot seat. Charlie still had dark sunglasses on and a leather jacket that he'd never seen her wear before. The jacket had her last name embroidered in red on the front and a large black widow flanked by a lightning bolt on each side covering the back.

"Hungry and sleepy." She said. He knew she hadn't slept more than two hours the night before. When she thought he had been asleep, he was actually laying in bed thinking about either arguing with her or apologizing to her. "Are there any muffins left?"

"Yeah, you want blueberry?" He knew she would say yes, so he didn't wait for an answer. He found the bag of food beside a sleeping Tig. Kozik was one of the few men awake and he was staring out of the window. "You good, bro?"

"Yeah. Charlie okay?" Kozik turned from the window and nodded towards the cockpit. Happy was annoyed that Kozik was asking about her.

"She's fine and she isn't your problem."

"No, she's not. You want to talk about why you're fighting?" Kozik asked. Happy picked up a muffin and glared.

"She's my old lady. I can deal with it myself." Happy growled. Kozik walked towards him, almost losing his balance as the plane banked slightly to the left. "Brother, I haven't slept in two days. Don't try me."

"Don't let me find out you knocked her around," Kozik said, his normal playfulness replaced by a serious tone and scowl. Happy grabbed a fistful of Kozik's shirt and stared him down.

"Never say that shit again." He pushed Kozik back and walked back to the cockpit. He was pissed that Kozik thought he would hurt Charlie and pissed that Kozik even cared. He sat back down in the co-pilot chair and handed the muffin over.

"Thanks." She let go of the controls and unwrapped the muffin. Happy's eyes widened and he moved to grab the yoke in front of him. "It's fine, babe. We're just cruising right now."

"If you say so." He leaned forward and looked out at the stormy skies in front of them. "How bad is that going to be?"

"Well, it's not going to be fun but we don't have the fuel to go around it." Charlie's mouth was full of muffin. He knew she had to be starving because she hated when people talked with food in their mouths. "I'm going to schedule an ultrasound when we get back. It will probably just look like a blob but I'd like it if you went with me."

"In Charming or Seattle?" Happy asked. Charlie sighed and pushed her sunglasses up. He saw how bloodshot her eyes were and almost regretted the question. He knew she was stressed about flying but he didn't want her to leave.

"Charming. Happy, I'm not moving. I'm just visiting my brother for a couple of weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"I mean, it may not be exactly two weeks. I don't know yet." Charlie frowned.

"You haven't seen or talked to him since I've known you and you're just running up there? Charlie, the worst is behind us. We're going to get Jax's kid back and go home. It'll be better." Happy hoped he was right. Charlie took a deep breath.

"I need to focus on this storm. Can we talk about it later?" Charlie finished her muffin and handed the empty plastic wrap to Happy. He nodded and stood to leave. "We're going to have some turbulence, so strap in."

"Okay." He stepped towards the exit and then turned back. "Kiss me, woman."

Charlie lifted her chin and kissed him. He leaned down and deepened the kiss, wishing she would stop thinking about leaving. The plane lurched, breaking them apart. He heard Tig yell out from the cargo area. Charlie refocused on the storm ahead of them and Happy headed to the back to strap in.

"We going down?" Tig asked, tightening the belt on his seat. Happy threw the plastic wrap at his head.

"It's a storm. Don't be a fucking pussy." Happy growled. He sat in the seat closest to the cockpit and buckled the lap belt. The turbulence woke everyone up and had them all on edge for the rest of the flight.

"How much longer do we have?" Jax called up to the cockpit.

"Less than an hour. If you need to walk around, do it now." Charlie yelled back to them. Happy leaned his head against the side wall of the plane and closed his eyes.

* * *

Charlie killed the engines and cut the power before walking back to the cargo area. The landing had been stressful and bouncier than she would have preferred but it was over. She had gotten through it. Kozik and Juice started clapping like she had scored a game-winning touchdown. It was silly but it made her smile anyway.

"You have to unlock the door before you lower it. Here," Charlie told Tig. He was jamming the door open button on the controller. Finally, he handed it over to her. "It's to prevent accidental cargo door openings during flight."

"Good flying, ace," Chibs said, copying her movements and unlocking the left side of the door. She thanked him and opened the door. Tig hurried onto the ground and started throwing up. "It's not you. He hates flying."

After squaring things away with the hangar crew, Charlie joined everyone in the private airport's parking lot. Instead of rental cars, she found a group of SAMBEL members, bikes and a single land cruiser. Happy waved her over and pulled her into his side possessively.

"You did good, babe." He kissed the top of her head and introduced her to several of the SAMBEL members.

"Alright, let's head out!" Clay yelled. The majority of the Irishmen got in the land cruiser while the Charming Sons got on the Harleys. Charlie thought it was a little strange but didn't question it. She turned towards the truck but Happy stopped her, handing her a helmet. "Hap, you sure about her riding bitch?"

"Yep." Happy didn't explain his decision to Clay. Charlie assumed he didn't want her riding with all the men in the land cruiser or he was worried about she and Gemma fighting during their trip. No matter the reason, she was looking forward to riding through Ireland with him.

She was enjoying being close to him and watching the scenery until they came upon a roadblock. Charlie felt Happy's body tense as he put the kickstand down and turned the bike off. The officers started demanding identification from the majority of them. Everyone complied but seconds later, they were ordered to the ground. Happy stood in front of Charlie, blocking her from the officer.

"Get on your knees! Both of you!" An officer yelled, pointing his rifle at Charlie. Happy knocked the barrel of the gun away from her and punched the man in the face. Charlie backed up quickly as everyone started fighting. She felt someone grab her by the hair and shove her to the ground. Jax was on the man in an instant.

"Everybody stop!" Jax yelled, his gun pressed against the officer's cheekbone. The fighting stopped. "Who told you to stop us? Huh?"

"No one. I'm a police officer." Charlie flinched at the sound of Jax's fist connecting with the man's nose. He spit blood at Jax. "Hap!"

"Yeah?" Happy growled.

"Kill one of his men," Jax said.

"Yes, I will!" Happy didn't hesitate. He grabbed one of the officer's off the ground and racked a round in his gun. Charlie's heart started pounding as he towered over the man, gun pressed to his skull.

"Alright, alright. We were paid to detain you and send you back to the states." The officer said. Charlie bit her lip, worried what the next step of Jax's plan was. He continued questioning the man, using Happy's hostage as motivation. Finally, Clay made the call to take their ID's and threatened the men's families. Happy shoved his hostage to the ground and stepped over to Charlie.

"Are you okay?" He dropped his eyes to her stomach for a second, silently asking if the baby was okay as well. Charlie nodded.

"Welcome to Northern Ireland, boys!" The SAMBEL president yelled. Charlie shook her head, wishing she had just stayed at the airport.

* * *

"How far along are you?" Gemma asked, sitting down at the picnic table with Charlie. She looked up from her untouched beer. "Happy keeps looking at your stomach and you haven't touched that beer."

"Six weeks," Charlie answered. "No one else knows yet."

"Are you keeping it?" Gemma picked up Charlie's beer and took a big drink. Charlie nodded. "Happy good with that?"

"No offense but why do you care?" Charlie was tired from the flight and ride to Belfast. She didn't feel like talking to Gemma. "You hate me so why pretend like it matters to you?"

"I don't hate you, Charlie. I didn't trust you at first. Sorry." Gemma shrugged. Charlie leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table top.

"I didn't realize how stressful it is to run the garage and deal with the croweaters. It's no wonder you're stressed." Charlie pursed her lips, unwilling to give her anything closer to an apology. "I hope we find Abel soon and get home soon."

"Don't like your homeland?" Gemma laughed. Charlie rolled her eyes.

"My great-grandmother was Scottish, not Irish," She said, her attention shifting to the woman that was flirting with Happy. She watched him smirk and felt her blood start to boil. "Excuse me."

Charlie walked directly over to Happy and sat in his lap. The girl that had been flirting with him raised her brow. Happy patted Charlie's leg.

"Get up, girl." He had called her girl for as long as she had known him but his tone was different. Charlie stood up and narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"What? Really?" Charlie's temper flared. "You're going to disrespect me while I'm sitting ten feet away?"

"Disrespect you? I didn't do anything. Girl brought me a beer and started talking." Happy growled.

"Oh. That's right. You're such a fucking conversationalist." Charlie snapped. "You want to piss me off with some Irish teenager? You don't get to act single because we're fighting."

"I never asked for this shit, Charlotte. Didn't ask you to get knocked up or…" Happy stopped as she spun around and stormed away from him. She snatched her bag up from the picnic table and walked inside.

* * *

"You're an idiot." Chibs slurred. Happy downed another shot, shoving the sweetbutt off his arm. "She flew our dumbasses over here for you and you just broke that girl's heart."

"Shut up." Happy growled. He downed more whiskey and beer until he felt good and numb. He felt like an asshole. Chibs was right. He'd let his exhaustion and frustration get to him.

* * *

"Care if I move in on Charlie after she dumps your dumbass?" Kozik growled. Happy had just finished boxing Chibs' nephew and was bleeding from the mouth. He glared at his brother and shoulder checked him as he walked past to get another beer. "What would Anita think?"

"Say her name again." Happy lashed out. "I'll put a bullet in your fucking spine."

"You aren't going to do shit. You're too much of a pussy to even face your girl right now." Happy's fist slammed into his mouth and Kozik stumbled backward. "You mad, bro? Why? You got all this free pussy. Who cares about Charlie?"

"Ay, break them up!" Keith yelled as Happy punched Kozik's face again. Kozik landed a solid right hook to Happy's ribcage and dodged another blow to his head.

"Stop it!" Gemma yelled. Happy and Kozik stopped and looked over at her. "Herman, go find some ice for your face. You, Killah, get over here."

"What?" Happy spat.

"You're being stupid. After that shit you pulled, you should be begging that girl to forgive you. She's too pretty and too smart to sit around and let you treat her like a croweater. I don't know if it's the baby or something else that's got your head up your ass but I suggest you pull it out and apologize to her." Gemma paused but Happy didn't say anything. "If you love her then you go fix it. Be a man."

"You sound like my ma." Happy grumbled, feeling two feet tall. Gemma put her hands on her hips and motioned towards the house Charlie had walked into.

"Good. Now, go." She ordered.

* * *

Happy stumbled into the small room he was sharing with Charlie. She was already lying on the bed, sound asleep. He frowned and sat on the end of the bed, careful to avoid her feet. She rolled over as he pulled his boots off, curls of red hair falling into her face. The argument from earlier in the night started replaying in his head.

"Charlie." He said softly, hoping she wouldn't be too angry about being woken up. He pulled his jeans off and tossed them into the corner with his shirt. "Babe, are you awake?"

"I wasn't." She whined, scrunching her nose. He laid down next to her on the small bed and moved her hair out of her face. She opened her eyes and frowned. "You're drunk."

"A little." He nodded. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I am an asshole."

"You hurt me, Happy. I never thought you would talk to me like that, not in a thousand years." Her eyes started glistening with tears and he felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"I know, girl. I fucked up. That shit I said, it wasn't even about you." Happy rested his palm on her cheek, relieved when she didn't pull away. "I want you, Charlie. I want you and our kid."

He watched as she slowly closed her eyes and tucked her chin towards her chest. He hadn't seen her cry like that since his ma died. She let him pull her against his chest and hold her as sobs shook her body. The beers and whiskey vanished from his bloodstream. Her pain sobered him and pushed him towards tears of his own. He had done this. He had done exactly what he promised his mother he never would. He hurt Charlie and he didn't know if he would ever be able to make it up to her.

"Charlie, look at me." He waited patiently, giving her time. She slowly looked up, her eyes red and puffy. "I love you. I was just pissed about you going to Seattle."

"What happened after I came upstairs?" She tried to put some strength in her voice but he could hear how fragile she felt.

"I drank and got in a fight with Kozik. Charlie, I'm never going to touch another woman. I don't care if you're my girlfriend, old lady, or wife. As long as I have a shot in hell with you, I don't need anyone else." Happy was acutely aware of how sensitive and whipped he sounded. He didn't care. He'd say the same words in front of the whole charter. "I mean it, Charlie."

"It sounded like you meant what you said earlier." Charlie's voice cracked. Happy shook his head and pressed his lips to hers. She didn't kiss him back immediately and he could taste the warm, salty tears as they rolled onto their lips. She pulled back slightly. "I'm scared, Happy."

"Of what?" He wasn't sure if she was referring to flying back, him cheating on her, having a child or all of the above. She bit her bottom lip.

"Of losing you, of losing everything." Happy shook his head and pressed his forehead to hers.

"You aren't going to lose me, Charlie and I'm not going to let anything happen to you or the baby. I swear." Happy tried to kiss her again, knowing he was on the verge of breaking down himself. She slowly kissed him back, her right hand caressing his cheek.

"Ask me," Charlie whispered, breaking the kiss just long enough to speak the two words. Happy deepened the kiss, pulling her closer and holding her tighter.

"Charlotte Dover." He kissed her again, ignoring the reflexive scowl from hearing her first name again. "Charlie." Another kiss. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes." She smiled as he kissed her, smothering her answer. "On one condition."

"What?" He said, his breath tickling her neck as he trailed kisses down her body.

"Don't use my full name in the vows." She growled. He smiled against her chest and nipped her breast. "I was planning on holding sex privileges from you."

"How's that working out for you?" Happy asked as she moved her hips to press against him. He guided her onto her back and carefully pinned her down, keeping most of his weight on his forearms.

"Don't push your luck."

"We're in Ireland, isn't there some shit about luck here?" He smirked as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't think it counts if you aren't Irish." She seemed to be enjoying the playful back and forth. "You're a little tall for a leprechaun."

"You're a little short for one." He moved his head back, avoiding her snapping teeth. "Careful, I like when you bite."

"I know." She smiled and pulled him down to her, ending their banter with a deep, hungry kiss.

****A/N I am quickly catching up with what I have written so far. With that being said, updates will most likely go back to once a week for a little while. It all depends on inspiration. Thank you for all of your support! Each of you are amazing.


	10. Chapter 10

Charlie was surprised to see Gemma sipping on coffee and talking to a middle-aged woman on Maureen's Ashby's couch. Happy had woken her up a couple of hours earlier, telling her that he and the others were going on a run with SAMBEL. She knew he would be gone for most of the day, so she had taken her time getting out of bed. After a shower, she took the time to braid her hair into boxer braids. She was trying to put off going downstairs for as long as possible. Their argument during the party had been so embarrassing.

"Morning, Charlie," Gemma said as soon as Charlie walked into the small living area. "There's a fresh pot of coffee if you want some."

"No thank you." Charlie looked out of the window. The parking lot below was almost empty. "Are we supposed to stay inside?"

"No, but where are you planning on going?" Gemma chuckled. Charlie shrugged and pulled her bomber jacket off the coat rack.

"You're welcome to come with me, Gemma. When's the next time you're going to be in Ireland?" Gemma shook her head, so Charlie continued. "I'm not helping anyone by sitting around here. I'll have my phone on me."

"Can I go with you?" Maureen's daughter asked shyly. "No offense but it would be nice to get out of here."

"Sure, I don't mind." Charlie noticed Maureen nod.

"Be careful, Trinity." Her mother said, sharing a look with her daughter. Charlie could tell there some unsaid message between them but she didn't want to pry. Charlie and Trinity set out walked a couple of blocks in silence. Charlie looked around at the houses and small shops while Trinity focused on the sidewalk.

"You don't seem like an old lady." Trinity finally said. Charlie glanced over at her, wondering how she had meant that. "No offense, you just seem nicer than most of them."

"They're not all that bad." Charlie thought of Tara and how kind she had been when Charlie first met her. She hated that Jax had broken things off with her before they left for Ireland but it was out of her hands. Hopefully getting Abel back would help them. "I haven't been around the club long."

"You're dating the angry one, right?" The younger girl asked.

"Happy. Yeah. He isn't always angry. Your father is Keith?" Trinity shook her head but didn't offer an answer. "No offense but why did you decide to come with me?"

"To get away from the store and clubhouse. Gemma is a little intense and my Ma has been on edge. It's nice to be around my age." Her eyes widened as Charlie chuckled.

"Sorry. How old do you think I am?"

"Twenty-three? Twenty-four?" Trinity's cheeks started blushing. Charlie smiled and shook her head.

"I'm thirty-three but thank you," Charlie said. "I still don't mind you walking with me though. I was hoping to find a market I saw online."

"St. George's?" Trinity asked. Charlie nodded. "It's this way. I haven't been in months."

For the first time in months, Charlie felt normal. Just walking around the market, looking at all the different vendors and shops reminded her of how much her life had changed since meeting Happy. She missed feeling safe without him. As they continued walking, Charlie started wondering if things would ever get better as Happy had said.

"We need ta go," Trinity said, returning after answering a phone call. Charlie saw the panic written all over her face, so she didn't ask questions. They hailed a cab and pulled up to the shop right behind the club motorcycles. The first thing Charlie smelled was blood. Her stomach churned, reminding her that she hadn't eaten and that she hadn't gotten sick that morning. She had gotten sick every morning for the past three weeks. Her heartbeat started picking up.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Happy had blood on his forearms but she didn't see any wounds. She tried to swallow down her fear. "Charlie."

"Are you okay?" She choked. He nodded and pulled her away from everyone else. She saw Gemma watching them closely. "I'm scared."

"Scared?" Happy repeated.

"I didn't get sick this morning. I didn't have morning sickness. What if something's wrong?" Charlie bit down on her bottom lip, refusing to cry. Happy's eyes dropped to her stomach.

"What happened?" Gemma walked up, looking between them. Happy opened his mouth to speak but closed it without a word. "Happy, take care of what you need to do. Find my grandson and I'll help Charlie."

"No." Happy growled protectively. Charlie managed to swallow and take a deep breath. She nodded at him.

"It's okay. Go." Charlie kissed him and forced a smile. He furrowed his brow. "I'll find a clinic or something and make sure everything is okay. There's nothing you can do."

Gemma sat next to Charlie in the small clinic. She wasn't accustomed to seeing the girl distressed. She was normally calm and relaxed. It was annoying. Now, she was pulling at a hangnail and bouncing her foot nervously. Her eyes were wide, like a deer in headlights.

"Charlotte Dover?" The nurse called. Charlie jumped to her feet, grabbing Gemma's hand to invite her back. Gemma was surprised but she wasn't going to argue. She remembered how nervous she was with her first pregnancy. The nurse took down a list of Charlie's concerns and asked a series of questions about her pregnancy so far. When the questions turned sexual, Gemma tried not to listen. She was no prude but she didn't need to know the ins and outs of Happy and Charlie's sex life.

"Thank you for coming with me," Charlie said, still picking at her nails. "I know you probably have enough on your plate with Abel."

"Strong women still need their hands held sometimes. You're part of the family, sweetheart. They start prodding around in your vagina and I'm stepping out." Gemma said, hoping for a laugh. Charlie just nodded. "With my first pregnancy, I went to the doctor three times a month my first trimester. I was convinced the baby was just going to disappear."

"You have another child?"

"He passed away when Jax was young. Heart Defect." Gemma said.

"I'm sorry." Charlie's eyes dropped to her hands. The doctor walked back in before Gemma responded. When she mentioned an ultrasound, Charlie's eyes started getting teary. "I haven't had one yet. I did a blood test and everything but I was going to have an ultrasound when I got home. I wanted my boy-my fiancé there."

"Ms. Dover, the best way to check on the baby at this point is with an ultrasound. If something is wrong, your blood work would not show any changes yet." The doctor frowned. Gemma stood up and took Charlie's hand.

"I'll video it for him. You can show him later and still go to the doctor when you get home, okay?" Gemma's offer calmed Charlie. The younger woman nodded. Gemma watched as the staff rolled an ultrasound machine into the room. She started videoing with her phone once Charlie had pulled her shirt up.

"Here's your baby." The doctor pointed at a little white figure on the screen. Charlie's tears started falling as she smiled. "How far along did you say you were?"

"The doctor thinks about six weeks," Charlie said, wiping tears off her face. The doctor paused the image on the screen.

"You are at least nine weeks, dear. See how you can make out the baby's head?" The doctor pointed to the screen. Charlie nodded and smiled. "Everything looks great. Let's see if we can hear a heartbeat."

Happy jumped off the bike as soon as he saw the cab pull up. Gemma and Charlie were both smiling. He felt the elephant on his chest start to lift. Gemma handed a phone to Charlie and nodded before splitting off. Happy closed the distance between him and Charlie.

"Is everything okay?" Happy asked, pulling her to him and kissing her before she could answer. He felt Charlie smile against his mouth. "Baby is okay? You're okay?"

"We're both good. The doctor said my body could be experiencing jet lag. I might get sick later or I might be through the morning sickness phase. They had to do an ultrasound." Charlie's voice fell a little. Happy tilted her chin up. "I'm sorry. I wanted to wait for you to be there for the first one."

"It's okay, babe. As long as you're both good." Happy was surprised that he felt a little disappointed. He hated doctor's offices but he would have liked to see their kid.

"Gemma took a video on her phone and I have pictures if you want to see." Charlie offered. He smiled and kissed her again.

"Show me." She blinked and looked around the crowded lot. He shook his head. "I don't care. They'll know eventually. I want to see my kid."

"The doctor thinks I'm closer to nine weeks. She said this looks like a head. I don't know." Charlie chuckled nervously. Happy was fixated on the video. The doctor ran the wand over her flat stomach and speakers in the room started playing a heartbeat. His cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling. She handed him printouts of the ultrasound. "These are for you. I got two copies."

"Thank you, Charlie. We'll figure shit out with the club, okay? I just don't want to lose you two." He ran his fingers over her stomach and smirked. "Those tiny shorts of yours aren't going to fit soon."

"Laugh it up. You'll be the one going to get me ice cream and pickles in the middle of the night." Charlie laughed.

"Cookie dough?" He asked.

"Aw, you remembered." She purred. "I want to get married before the baby comes."

"Do it tomorrow if you want, babe." Happy wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her towards the rest of the club.

"Maybe we can wait until we're back in California so it's legal and everything."

"I guess." He took a beer and asked the woman to get Charlie a bottle of water. "Hey, come here."

"What?" Kozik growled, his eye still red and swollen. Happy pulled him into a hug, clapping him on the back. "You two make up?"

"Yeah. Thanks for calling me out on my shit last night, you and Chibs." Happy broke the hug and offered his hand. Kozik shook it with a nod. "We're having a kid."

"What? Really? Dude, I love babies. I'm an awesome uncle." Kozik said quickly. Charlie laughed and leaned into Happy. "Just don't name him Herman. He'll hate it."

"I'll try to remember that," Charlie said, rolling her eyes. "You know, it could be a girl."

"Nah." Kozik shook his head. Happy smirked, amused by Charlie's frustration with Kozik. He was still trying to accept that he could be her friend without wanting to fuck her.

"Need you to buy a white shirt or something when we get back home." Happy said, finishing his beer. Kozik cocked his head to the side. Happy shrugged the shoulder that Charlie wasn't leaning on. "I mean, if you don't want to then I can get Tig to be the best man."

"Whaaaat? He tricked you into marrying his dumbass?" Kozik teased. Happy raised his middle finger as Charlie giggled. "Yeah, bro. I'll hold your hand at the wedding."

"Never mind." Happy growled, walking towards the ice chest for another beer. Kozik followed him, laughing and teasing him about the wedding.

"Congratulations." A red-headed woman said, walking up to Charlie. She had seen her around a couple of times, usually with O'Neill, but had never spoken to her. "I'm Cherry."

"Oh." Charlie's heart sank. She remembered hearing about Cherry around the Charming clubhouse. Half-sack had told her how Happy smuggled Cherry out of the country so she wouldn't be arrested. He said he'd never be able to repay Happy for it. The woman nodded and looked at her feet.

"Jax said you tried to save Kip," Cherry said sadly. Charlie's breath hitched as she nodded. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. I wish I could have done more." Charlie admitted. Cherry looked up with tears in her eyes, excusing herself quickly. Charlie looked around the lot and felt mixed emotions. SAMBEL had lost men to an IED earlier that day and members of SAMCRO narrowly escaped the same fate. She was scared and looking forward to leaving Ireland, hoping more danger didn't follow them home. Despite the horror and the loss, many of the men still found it in their hearts to celebrate her pregnancy and engagement to Happy. People kept hugging her and congratulating them.

"Can I talk to you?" Charlie asked, pulling Happy away from a debate over motorcycle exhausts. He followed her as she looked for a secluded area. "I want to try something. I don't know if it will work or if you'll be okay with it, but I want to try."

Charlie explained the idea that she had been turning over in her mind for the last few hours. She repeated several times that she didn't know if it would work. She didn't think it could get any worse though. Happy heard her out, listening to every word and thinking of every possible outcome. The more she talked about it, the more interested he was and the more skeptical she seemed.

* * *

"What's up?" Jax asked, leaning against the brick wall and looking from Happy to Charlie. Happy had decided to bring Charlie's idea to him. He trusted Jax.

"Charlie has a plan that could shorten the club's time inside." Happy started. Charlie felt nervous, knowing what was about to come. "Her father is a federal judge."

"What? You never told us that, Hap. She's been around the club for months." Jax rubbed the back of his neck. "Bro, when Clay finds out it's going to be bad."

"I didn't tell him. He didn't know until the night before Abel was kidnapped. Stahl came to press me for information and I threatened to tell my father she was harassing me. He golfs with a lot of higher-ups in the ATF and stuff." Charlie glanced at Happy and he nodded for her to continue. "I haven't talked to him in a few years. We didn't see eye to eye about my discharge from the Air Force and we haven't talked since then."

"So, why do you think he would help the club?" Jax asked. Charlie frowned, wondering the same thing.

"She's going to have their first grandchild. Charlie thinks she can get him to help because he's always wanted, grandchildren." Happy summarized the reasons Charlie had given him. She had told him about her father's dream of having a large family. She had started feeling guilty like she was planning on using their child to pressure her father to help the club. Happy assured her that they could approach it from a different way. There wouldn't be an ultimatum or threats.

"Brother, I don't know. Seems like something that we should bring to the club." Jax said with a frown. Happy nodded but Charlie shook her head.

"I'm sorry but I think you're wrong. Clay already called for a hit on a member for thinking he was a rat." Charlie noticed Jax's eyes widen. "Sorry."

"Damn, Hap. You tell her everything?" Jax laughed.

"Pretty much." Happy said. The three of them talked the plan over for a while longer before Jax finally agreed to keep it quiet. Happy said he would take full responsibility for any blowback, refusing to let anything fall on Charlie.

* * *

Happy walked into the plane and up to the cockpit, taking the co-pilot seat next to Charlie. She was wearing her bomber jacket again, her sunglasses hanging out of her pocket. He could tell she felt more confident this time around. Her eyes were bright and the corners of her lips were curled upwards as she flipped switches and wrote in a log book. He was relieved to be headed home, his club and family whole. The plane's engines roared as they came to life.

"Here." Charlie handed him a headset with a smile. He turned and watched her hop down into the cargo area and do one last check of the load straps and door. "Good to go."

"You miss it, don't you?" Happy asked after they had been in the air for several minutes. She glanced over at him but didn't answer or nod her head. "You seem more comfortable this go around."

"I always loved flying at night. In my jet, it felt like I could just reach out and touch a star." Charlie laughed and leaned back a little. "Wow, I sound like some hallmark card."

"Nah, I get it. Riding used to feel like that. Still can if I'm riding alone." Happy said. He sometimes missed the rides down to Bakersfield. He didn't have to be in a rush or worry too much about rival clubs. He just enjoyed the open road and his bike. "You've changed since I met you, Charlie."

"I know. It's been really hard adjusting to being in a relationship again and finding my place in Charming." Charlie looked over at him with a sad smile. "I'm doing the best I can."

"Are you happy?" He asked.

"I'm happy with you. The club life is still an adjustment." Charlie said. He nodded, understanding that she was still new to the club, new to his lifestyle. "I'm going to finally get comfortable and then we're going to have a kid."

"Yeah. I never thought I'd have a kid." Happy admitted. "Hell, I never thought I'd have an old lady but I guess Ma was right about you."

"Yeah?" Charlie smiled. "You should get some sleep."

"Gotta keep you awake behind the wheel." Happy yawned.

"Nah, these buses practically fly themselves. You didn't sleep at all last night, Hap. We've got a long drive to San Diego when we get back." Charlie said, squeezing his hand. He rolled his eyes and closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep much over the next week.

* * *

"Hey." Charlie looked over as Happy sat up quickly. She was starting to descend and it seemed to startle him awake.

"Shit. How long have I been out?" Happy asked, looking out of the windows. It was daylight and they were below the clouds.

"About nine hours. We're landing in a few minutes." Charlie said, pushing the nose of the plane down a little further. "You talk in your sleep, you know."

"Not usually." Happy grumbled. "You feel okay?"

"Yeah, baby. Kozik brought me a sandwich and fruit a few hours ago." Charlie noticed his scowl deepen. "Why don't you like him being nice to me?"

"It isn't his job." Happy said, stretching and scratching his scalp. His hair was starting to grow out a little along with his beard. She knew he didn't like it but she loved the way it felt. "What?"

"Can you manage to not shave your head until we get back from my parent's? I like touching it." Charlie smiled brightly, pleading him to keep it.

"Fine." He sighed.

**A/N:** I have good news and bad news. Good news is, I'm working on a new story! Bad news is, it came about due to some writers block with this story. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning it. I'm just trying to work through some things in the creative process. I'm still aiming for weekly updates but don't look for any multiple updates per week on this one, at least not for a little while. Thank you again for your continued support!


	11. Chapter 11

Charlie's nerves started making her irritable as they got closer and closer to San Diego. It wasn't the idea of telling her parents about her pregnancy or even introducing them to Happy. She was dreading the inevitable discussion about her career. Her father had been so disappointed when she accepted a medical discharge. He always wanted her to stay in for the full twenty years plus. He was career military, her brother was on his way to being career military, he expected her to do the same. She never planned on becoming a civilian so early in life but things happened, things changed. Her father just wouldn't accept it.

"Do you want to stop for food or anything before we get there?" Happy asked, cutting his eyes over to her. She had already snapped at him for suggesting they call ahead and let her parents know they were coming to visit. Her stomach growled and she nodded, liking the idea of getting food. "Anywhere in particular?"

"In-N-Out, please." Charlie smiled. He obliged and exited the highway at the next exit advertising an In-N-Out. "Let's go inside and eat."

"Sounds good." Happy pulled the truck into a parking spot and rushed out of the truck, stretching his arms high above his head. Charlie caught sight of his v-cut above his waistband and smiled. "You're staring."

"I know." Charlie laughed, leaning into him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He had packed his cut in his duffle bag, so they almost looked like an ordinary couple walking into the restaurant. He still got a few looks but not nearly as many as he got with his club colors on his back. She usually didn't mind people staring but it was nice to blend in when she was already concerned about her family's reaction to his club affiliation.

"I'm sorry for being an irritable bitch." Charlie said as she and Happy sat in a booth by the door. He sat the table marker down and shrugged.

"Probably need to get used to it. Heard you people get moody when you're knocked up." Happy teased.

"You people?" She laughed. He nodded, confirming what he had said. "I really think it's just nerves. So far it's just been morning sickness and being horny all the time."

"Uh. Um. Order 8?" The freckle faced waiter said, his cheeks blushing. Charlie smiled. "Um. Enjoy your meal."

"You're too beautiful. Should have picked an ugly bitch to knock up." Happy growled. She knew he hated when men looked at her for too long. She used to get annoyed by it, thinking he didn't trust her. The longer they were together, the more she understood he was just territorial. He was the definition of an only child.

"Too late now." She laughed, sticking her tongue out at him playfully. It was a good thing he suggested they stop for food. It got her mind off of her nerves. After they ate, they got back in the truck and finished the last thirty minutes of the drive. It was just after seven in the evening and Charlie knew her parents would have just finished dinner. Her mother kept a tight schedule for dinner on the weekdays.

"Shit." Happy said, pulling into the horseshoe driveway of her parents' home. The house was large, too large for an empty-nest baby boomer couple. The large, concrete lions flanking the front steps only served to make the house look more unapproachable. "Didn't realize I was marrying into money."

"Shut up." Charlie laughed, knowing he was teasing her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before reaching for the door handle. Happy put his hand on her knee and shook his head, so she stopped. A few seconds later, he was at the passenger door and opening it for her like a gentleman. She smirked and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was showing out. It was a nice gesture but she always found the act a little ridiculous. "It's not too late to dump me."

"Its been too late since I found you butchering tamales in Ma's kitchen." Happy pressed his lips to her temple and smiled. The front door opened before they made it up the stairs.

Happy could tell the older woman at the door was Charlie's mother. She had faded red hair and skin nearly as pale as her daughter's. She was slightly taller than Charlie but it was barely noticeable. He felt his old lady's body tense before she stepped away from his side. The two women shared a look before Charlie's mother pulled her into a hug. He stood a couple paces behind Charlie, letting them have a moment.

"Charlie. It's really you, sweetie." Her mother had the Tennessee accent that Charlie was so glad she had avoided. "Who is this?"

"Mom, this is Happy. He's my fiancé. Happy, this is my mother, Rose." Charlie said, stepping to the side and introducing him. He stepped forward and awkwardly offered her his hand. She chuckled and pulled him into a hug. His chest tightened a little, missing his own mother's warm hugs.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Dover." Happy said, trying to remember all the manners his mother had tried to teach him when he was a kid. She had a warm smile like Charlie.

"Please, you can call me Rose. Come in. I just put the leftovers away but I can heat up two plates if you're hungry." She offered. Happy was starting to wonder why Charlie had been so nervous about seeing her folks.

"We ate about an hour ago, Mom." Charlie said. Happy followed them into what he assumed was a sitting room that he'd only read about in old western books. There were two small couches and two arm chairs, all set up facing a large coffee table. He sat down next to Charlie and Rose sat across from them. "Is Dad home?"

"He's in his study. I believe the district attorney called him, but I'm not sure." Rose lifted a shoulder and turned her attention back to Happy. "How did you meet?"

"Charlie taught yoga at the community center my mother went to before she passed. She was a good friend to my ma." Happy said, putting his hand on Charlie's knee. Her smile was a little sad.

"I'm sorry for your loss, dear. Praise God that something positive seems to come from your pain." Rose said. Happy was a little surprised by the religious statement considering Charlie's aversion to religion. "Have you been together long?"

"About six months." Charlie's voice was tighter than it had been.

"Well, when you know, you know. I only knew Paul for about a year before we were married and expecting Charlie's brother." Rose said, standing up. "Let me go see what's keeping your father."

"She seems nice." Happy said after Rose started up the stairs. Charlie nodded, falling quiet. "Your dad is the hard ass, huh?"

"That's putting it lightly." Charlie muttered. She looked over at him and tugged on the end of his shirt sleeve. "Are you not burning up?"

"I'm not cold." Happy agreed. He had chosen to wear long sleeves to try and give her parents fewer reasons to judge him right off the bat. "No one is going to blame you if this doesn't work, babe."

"I know." She spoke quickly. Happy picked up on the sound of two distinctive footsteps coming down the stairs. Rose's heels clicked softly on the wooden floor while the other footsteps were heavy and slower. Charlie stood up, so he followed her lead. "Hi, Dad."

The man she called Dad looked nothing like Happy had expected. He was thinking the man would be shorter, balding and frail looking. Instead, he was at least Happy's height and appeared to be in peak physical fitness. He tried to remember when Charlie had said he retired from the military because he still looked ready to jump out of damn plane and kill enemies with his bare hands. It took a lot to intimidate Happy and Charlie's father did it. He wasn't sure if it was his stature and position or that he was Charlie's dad.

"Charlotte, I'm surprised you remembered how to get here." Her's father's voice was gruff. "Who are you?"

"Happy Lowman." He said, offering him a hand. Paul hesitated but eventually shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Traditionally the parents meet the man their daughter gets engaged to beforehand." Paul said, cutting his eyes over at Charlie.

"Dad." Charlie sighed.

"What do you do, Mr. Lowman?"

"I'm an auto and motorcycle mechanic." Happy wasn't stupid. He knew that his future father-in-law wasn't going to be impressed, especially when Charlie's ex was a pilot.

"Are you here for money, Charlotte?" Paul asked. Happy gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to answer for her.

"No. I thought you might want to meet Happy since he's the father of your first grandchild." Charlie spat. Happy knew that wasn't how she had planned on telling her parents they were expecting.

"You're pregnant?" Rose asked with a wide smile. Charlie nodded and opened her bag, pulling out the ultrasound photos they had gotten at St. Thomas. She left the Belfast ultrasound pictures at home, knowing there would be difficult questions about why she had been in Ireland. "This is fantastic. I thought for certain you would have trouble after the accident."

"How far along are you?" Paul asked. Happy wasn't expecting that to be his next question. He actually seemed to relax a little.

"Going on eleven weeks." Charlie smiled. Paul nodded slowly as Rose sat next to him, beaming. He didn't say anything for several minutes. "Dad. Say something, please."

"It's getting late. Why don't you two stay in the guest house. We can talk about this tomorrow. I don't have any cases on the docket." Paul said, offering Happy his hand. Happy stood up and shook it firmly. He noticed Paul's grip had loosened a little. Charlie stood up and Paul opened his arms. She stepped into a hug but Happy could tell she wasn't as comfortable with his embrace as she had been with her mother's. "Rose. Are there sheets on the guest bed?"

"Yes, of course." She gave Charlie and Happy each a hug. As Paul left the room. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Night, Mom." Charlie flashed a smile before leading Happy back outside. She took a deep breath as soon as they got outside. "Something is wrong. Dad shouldn't be that calm."

"Maybe he just misses you or he's happy you're going to have a kid, like you said." Happy suggested. Charlie shook her head slowly. "Where is the guest house?"

"In the back." Charlie waved towards the house. "I'll pull the truck around to it."

* * *

"Come here, baby." Happy had watched Charlie pace the bedroom for almost fifteen minutes. She was thinking out loud, listing all the things that could make her father act differently than she had expected. He was sitting in the bed, propped up against the fabric headboard. "Why doesn't this place look like a museum like the main house?"

"What?" Charlie was caught off guard by the question and it took her a bit to process it. "Mom had it fixed up for my brother and I. She knows we don't like all the heavy antique furniture. She wanted it to look like the house we lived in while Dad was stationed in Italy."

"Come here." Happy repeated. She realized what he had done. He didn't care about the interior design, he just wanted to break through her chain of thought. With a sigh, she crawled onto the bed. "When are you gonna start showing?"

"Probably in a couple weeks. I can already tell there's something there." Charlie smiled, rubbing her hand over her stomach. Her thumb ran over her scar and she realized she never even noticed them anymore. "Give me your hand."

"Still feels flat to me, baby." Happy leaned forward and pressed his lips to her belly. She squirmed a little, his short beard tickling her. He noticed and kissed her again, moving his mouth a little lower. "What were you saying about being horny earlier?"

"I said I want you to be gentle and sweet." Charlie said, rubbing her palm over his short hair. She was in the mood but she also wanted to cuddle. Happy could make love to her just as well as he could fuck her, so she didn't mind asking for what she wanted. He nodded and brought his lips up to her mouth. Charlie closed her eyes, feeling every ounce of stress leaving her body.

Happy did exactly as Charlie asked. His kisses were deep but tender and his hands glided over her skin softly. Her body felt like it was charged with electricity. Every touch, every kiss had her wanting more. She longed to be as close to him as possible.

"Open your eyes, girl." Happy's words tickled her neck as he rocked his hips. She moaned lightly and opened her eyes. He kissed her neck again and straightened up, kneeling between her thighs. "You're fucking beautiful, Charlie."

"I…" She paused, her body nearing climax. He ran his thumb between her folds and up to her sensitive bundle of nerves. She felt her walls tightening around him as he moved his thumb in small circles and thrust a little harder. She looked up from his hand to his eyes.

"That's it girl."

"I love you, Happy." Charlie whispered as he finished his own release.

"Hey, why are you crying, baby?" Happy pulled out of her carefully, hoping he hadn't hurt her. The tears stopped and she smiled. "What?"

"On the plane you asked me if I was happy." Charlie said, running her hands over the sides of his head as laid beside her. He nodded, dark eyes searching her face. "I've never been as happy as I am with you."

"That why you were crying?" Happy smiled. She scoffed and shook her head with a relaxed smile.

"No, I was crying because my hormones are all fucked up." Charlie laughed. She slid out of the bed and cleaned herself up before returning to the bed in his t-shirt. "You might want to wear underwear. Mom will probably wake us up for breakfast."

"You gonna start cooking for me?" Happy asked, returning from the bathroom and stepping into his boxers.

"I can try." Charlie shrugged before a big yawn. He chuckled and shook his head, crawling into bed beside her.

"Maybe I'll take care of it. I like the house too much for you to burn it down." Happy teased. She rolled her eyes before turning over and pressing her back to his chest. "I love you to, Charlie."

* * *

Happy woke up and found a note from Charlie. She had gotten up early and was going to help her mother with breakfast. He rolled out of bed and unzipped his duffle bag, looking for clean underwear so he could take a quick shower before breakfast. Before he made it to the bathroom, there was a loud knock on the front door. Reflexively, he stepped towards his gun that was laying on the nightstand but quickly realized the probability of needing it was slim to none. He left the gun there and stepped into the jeans he had worn the day before.

"I'm sorry, were you asleep?" Paul asked. "Breakfast is still about twenty minutes out. Charlie is trying to make biscuits, god love her."

"She's a great woman but seeing her in the kitchen scares me," Happy chuckled. "I'm guessing you want to talk without them?"

"If you've got time." Paul nodded. Happy noticed the way he was scanning the tattoos on his arms. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course. It's your house." Happy stepped away from the door and Paul stepped inside, looking around like he wasn't familiar with the room. "You don't come in here much?"

"No. Since the kids moved out, Rose has been using it for book clubs and other things," he explained. "You aren't the type of man I imagined Charlie to move on to."

"No offense but I don't think you know what type of man I am," Happy said, trying to keep his tone even.

"Happy Lowman, thirty-six. Born to Anita and David Lowman in Bakersfield. No prior marriages or known children. No current warrants. Active member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. Six prior arrests including one felony arrest for assault. Is there anything I've left out?" Paul asked. Happy folded his arms against his chest and studied the man. He had obviously done his homework since they met the night before. "Why Charlotte?"

"What?" Happy wasn't sure what he meant. "Why Charlie what?"

"Why did you choose my daughter to impregnate?" Paul asked. Happy imagined himself punching the man in the face. He didn't care that he was a federal judge. The only thing that stopped him was Charlie.

"She lost sleep last night thinking there was something wrong with you. She thought you might be sick or something, worried about it so much she was talking in her sleep." Happy shook his head, still disgusted by the question. "Charlie gave a damn about a sick, old hispanic woman when she didn't have to. That oversized heart that cared about my Ma and worried about you is why I'd do anything for her. I didn't know who you were until recently. I still don't give a damn who you are and it doesn't have shit to do with why I'm with her or why she's having my kid."

Happy heard the front door open and watched Charlie enter the living room. She was smiling brightly, baking flour handprints on the legs of her jeans. Paul turned and raised a hand to say hello. She gave him a quick hug. Happy didn't move. He didn't trust himself around her father.

"Breakfast ready, sweetheart?" Paul asked. Charlie nodded and leaned her side into Happy's chest, hoping for a hug. He didn't move. "Don't take too long. Nobody likes cold eggs."

"What's the matter?" Charlie asked as she and Happy walked to the main house. She noticed how rigid he was when she had leaned against him. He didn't answer. "What were you and my father talking about?"

"Talk about it later." Happy muttered, opening the door and holding it open for her. She frowned, wondering if he had found out what was wrong with her father. In the back of her mind, she silently hoped it wasn't cancer. It was so hard watching Anita's final months, she couldn't imagine going through that again. They sat down at the table just as her mother brought out a platter of biscuits.

"Did you sleep well, Happy?" Rose asked, sitting down across from him. He nodded silently. "I didn't realize you had so many tattoos, dear. Did they hurt?"

"Most of them didn't." He said coolly. Rose didn't seem to notice but Charlie caught the chill in his voice. Silence fell over the table for several minutes as everyone started eating. Happy didn't relax. Every move he made was deliberate and rigid.

"Have you thought of any names for the baby?" Rose smiled over at her daughter and took a sip of coffee. Charlie glanced at Happy, wondering if he was going to react.

"No, not really. I think we'll probably wait until we find out the gender." Charlie put her hand on Happy's thigh but he didn't even seem to notice.

"You're sure about keeping it?" Her father asked, speaking for the first time since they had sat down. She blinked and looked over at him, feeling Happy's muscles contract under her hand.

"Paul, why would you ask that?" Her mother shook her head in disbelief. She sounded genuinely shocked by the question.

"She's having a child with a convicted felon who works in a small town garage." Paul tossed his cloth napkin onto the table and pointed to Charlie. "If you keep this child, you're stuck. Either he'll hold it over your head or you'll be a single, unemployed mother. Had you fought your discharge, this never would have happened."

"There it is. There's the father I was expecting last night," Charlie snapped. She pushed away from the table and stood up. "It's pathetic. When you weren't an ass last night, I actually got worried. I thought you might be dying or something. Turns out you were just biding your time."

"What brings you down here after all these years, Charlotte? Surely you would have kept this child a secret like you have kept everything else," Paul said. Rose's eyes started to tear up. "If you want anything besides help with an adoption agency or money for an abortion, you're barking up the wrong tree."

"Stop it! This is our daughter, Paul!" Rose cried out. Paul turned to her and slammed his fist onto the table.

"She's having a bastard child with a felon!" He raised his voice and Charlie's frustration started rolling down her cheeks. Happy noticed when she wiped the back of her hand across her chin. He stood up and pulled her to his chest.

"You see that? That is how a man is supposed to treat his family. Be there for them, love them." Rose sobbed. "You have always put career over family, Paul. Why do you think Charlie has stayed away for so long?"

"She is a failure." Paul stated. Charlie shook her head against Happy's chest, pulling away to look at her father. "You have one last chance, Charlotte. If you stay with this man and have his baby, that's it. No more inheritance, no help."

"Thank you for breakfast, Mom." Charlie stepped out of Happy's arms and walked over to her mother. She gave her a big hug as more tears started falling. "You're welcome to come visit any time you want, Mom. I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"It isn't your fault, sweetheart. You haven't done anything wrong," Rose said. She kissed Charlie's forehead with a sad smile. "I'm proud of you. Please keep in touch and let me know any updates with the baby. Happy?"

He looked at Charlie's mother as she walked up to him. She didn't hesitate. She gave him a warm hug and patted his cheek tenderly. Charlie smiled through her tears. The trip had been a failure. There was no way her father was going to help the club. However, it seemed like she was on the road to mending her relationship with her mother.

"Take care of her, Happy. She and her brother mean the world to me," Rose said. Happy nodded as she continued. "I can see you care about her. Please don't take my husband's feelings to heart. My daughter is an incredibly kind and intelligent woman. If she loves you, then I am happy to have you as my son-in-law."

"Thank you, Rose." Happy smiled for a brief second before looking over at Paul. He was just standing there, fuming. "Don't forget that you're the one that chose to push your family away."

* * *

Happy kept his hand on Charlie's thigh as they drove away from her parent's home. Her heart was heavy from the fallout of her relationship with her father and the failed plan to help the club. She felt guilty for ever mentioning it to Happy or Jax. It wasn't just her family that was going to be affected by the club being divided. She thought about Tara and baby Abel; they were going to be without Jax for years and there wasn't anything Charlie could do about it.

"It isn't your fault, girl." Charlie looked over at him, wondering how he knew what she was thinking. "Every member knew what they were getting into when they put that leather on their back. You didn't get them in trouble. It isn't your job to get them out."

"I know but they're your family," she said. "It isn't just about everybody going inside. Those of you left out here are going to be handling everything alone."

"Nah," he squeezed her thigh, "I still got you and the kid. That's all I need."

**A/N: **This chapter was a little rough for me to write/get through. It was a little close to home. Let me know what you think please! Happy July 4th to my USA readers! I'm still blown away by how many people are liking/following this story. THANK YOU


	12. Chapter 12

"You sure this is what you want?" Happy asked, pulling his cut on. She stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a large, gray towel and nodded in agreement. "I'd give you anything you want, baby. You deserve more than a clubhouse wedding."

"You're sweet when you want to be," Charlie said, kissing him with a smile. "I had a big wedding. It was stressful and I spent most of the time catering to guests. I would much rather marry you in the clubhouse surrounded by a handful of people we actually like."

"They're alright," Happy chuckled. He reached into the inner pocket of his cut and produced a velvet ring box. Charlie's eyes widened. "You think I wasn't going to give you a ring?"

"When did you even have time?" Charlie asked, biting her bottom lip. He opened the box and pulled out a white gold ring with a single, oval diamond. There was a second thinner, matching band he left in the box. She shook her head slowly. "Happy, it's beautiful."

"The rings were my mother's. I had the stone changed out a couple months ago," he said. Charlie started crying as he slid the engagement ring on her finger. "She gave me these the night after you were attacked. I tried to tell her no but she wouldn't listen."

"She always knew we would end up here one day, didn't she?" Charlie caressed his cheek and smiled. He turned his head and kissed her palm. "Can I get ready now or do you have more surprises?"

"Just one more," he looked down at his watch. "Get ready, we need to leave in an hour."

"An hour? The clubhouse is five minutes away," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "What did you do?"

"You'll find out later. Just get ready. I'll be back." He kissed her deeply and pulled back with a smirk. She knew he was enjoying keeping a secret from her.

After Happy left, Charlie couldn't stop smiling as she worked on her hair and makeup. She kept her look simple: a light coat of mascara, soft pink lipstick, and a thin layer of foundation. Her hair took a little longer than usual to tame but she was determined to wear it down. With a glance up to the clock, she was delighted to see she only had ten minutes left. She stepped into her dress and looked into the mirror, her baby bump was just barely visible.

"Babe? Can you come help me zip this?" She called down the hallway after hearing the front door open.

"Are your boobs covered because your old man will kill me if I look at your tits today," Kozik called down the hallway. Charlie's brow furrowed as he walked into the bedroom. "Damn, Charlie. You're pretty."

"Thanks, Koz. Where's Happy?" Charlie asked.

"He's, uh, busy. I'm supposed to drive you, miss," he bowed enthusiastically. Charlie shook his head, certain this had something to do with whatever surprise he was working on. "Still need help with the zipper?"

"Please," she said, turning her back to him. Her zipper was half up when it got hung on something. She couldn't get a good look at it to see if yanking the zipper up would damage the dress. "Careful, it was hung on something."

"I got it, beautiful," Kozik said. He zipped the dress up and squeezed her shoulder gently. "I'm glad to have you in the family. You know you probably saved Happy's life. He wouldn't have been able to handle losing his ma without you."

"She was a special woman," Charlie said with a small frown. She wished Anita could have lived to see her grandchild. "We probably need to go before you make me cry."

"Don't do that. We'll be late." Kozik laughed. Charlie laughed and followed him out of the house.

* * *

Happy walked over to the black SUV as it parked across from the row of motorcycles. They were cutting it close. A man hopped out of the driver's seat as Happy approached the passenger side. The door opened and Rose smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry we're late, dear. Traffic was a mess." Rose stepped out of the SUV and smoothed her dress out. "Happy, dear, I would like you to meet Charlie's brother, Jason. Jason, this is Happy."

"We've talked on Skype a couple times, Mom." Jason shook Happy's hand and pulled him into a brotherly hug. "Nice to meet you in person, man."

"You to. Thanks for not telling Charlie about this," he said. He glanced at his watch and motioned towards the ceremony area behind him. "She should be here in a couple minutes."

Happy led Jason and Rose up the grassy hill to the chairs that were set up. He hoped Charlie wouldn't be too disappointed that they weren't having the clubhouse wedding she expected. After their discussion about it, he felt a little nervous. Luckily, he'd kept the original list of people she wanted there, only adding her brother and mother. Happy invited her father as well but knew he would never show. Jason hung back to wait for Charlie as Happy walked Rose to her seat up front. She sat next to Gemma and immediately introduced herself with a warm smile.

As Kozik drove Happy's truck up the hill, Happy's nerves settled. He could see Charlie's nervous smile as his brother helped her out of the passenger seat. She looked beautiful, not that he was surprised. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Congratulations, brother. She's special," Kozik said, taking his place next to Happy. Happy nodded and quickly thanked him for being there for him. "Wouldn't miss it."

"Oh my god," Charlie covered her mouth as Jason walked up to her. Happy smiled, watching them hugged tightly from the end of the short aisle. Everyone quieted down and stood up as Jason escorted her towards Happy. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked or how lucky he was. Jason stopped short of Happy and let Charlie hug her mother tightly. "I love you, Mom."

"I am so proud of you, Charlie," Rose said. Charlie carefully wiped her tears as she walked up to Happy.

"You made me cry," Charlie laughed, handing her bouquet of wildflowers to her maid of honor, Tara. Happy rolled his eyes with an easy smile. "I don't deserve you."

"You've got that backwards, girl. Still want to marry me?" Happy asked, nodding towards Bobby who was waiting to perform the ceremony. She nodded.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love and bond between my brother from another mother, Happy Lowman and his angel of an old lady, Charlie Dover," Bobby announced. Happy couldn't take his eyes off of Charlie. He knew the whole club was watching but he wasn't worried about how soft he looked, not then. As Charlie repeated the traditional vows after Bobby, Happy's eyes started tearing up. He wished his mother could be there but if there was any kind of after life, he knew she would be watching them.

"As long as we both shall live," Happy repeated after Bobby. Charlie had started crying a few tears again as she beamed up at him. Bobby didn't get to finish the next line before Happy and Charlie's lips collided. Everyone cheered and whistled loudly. Happy couldn't remember a time he had ever been...well...happier.

* * *

Charlie sipped on her glass of punch as Happy shared a dance with her mother. She knew he would have enjoyed doing almost anything else in that moment but he'd agreed as soon as she'd asked him to escort her to the dance floor. Jason joined Charlie at the table. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him at a formal event in civilian clothing.

"I was a little worried about you before today," Jason said before taking a drink of beer. Charlie's eyes widened. "You're my sister. You were marrying some guy I've only talked to a few times over Skype. For all I knew he could have been some serial killer."

"That's ridiculous," Charlie laughed. "He looks tough but he's a good man, most all of them are."

"I got that about him, kid. Like I said, I was worried. It's obvious he'd do anything to keep you happy and safe," Jason said. Charlie relaxed and took another drink of her punch. "I'm not extending after this year."

"What?" Charlie blinked, surprised by his sudden announcement. "I thought you were planning on doing twenty?"

"I was but I got an offer from a private company that I can't turn down," Jason explained. She listened as he told her about the private security job in Seattle. He sounded excited. "I haven't told Dad yet, so we might both be excommunicated."

"I think at that point he'll have excommunicated himself." Charlie shook her head, still frustrated with how her father had treated she and Happy a few weeks ago. Happy left Rose to twirl around the dance floor with Kozik and joined Charlie and Jason at the table.

"You know she's divorcing him, right?" Jason asked, tilting his chin up towards their mother. Charlie almost choked on her drink. Her mother had always been outspoken about her distaste for divorce unless there was violence. "She filed a week ago."

"Good," Happy growled. He didn't hide his dislike for Charlie's father, not sense they left San Diego three weeks ago. "Are you hungry, Charlie?"

"I could eat some cake and carrots," Charlie said brightly. Happy shook his head slowly and laughed. "It's not my fault, blame the baby."

"I'm not blaming the baby," he said. Jason laughed and stood up, offering to go get his sister the odd food she requested. As he stepped away, Jax and Tara walked up.

"Thank you for helping me with all this, Tara." Happy gave her a hug, catching everyone off guard. Tara nervously hugged him back. He then gave Jax a brotherly hug. "You look serious, bro. What's up?"

"Talk about it later, Hap. Nothing that can't wait," Jax said. "Congratulations to both of you. I'm glad to have you in the family, Charlie."

"Thanks, Jax." Charlie stood up and gave him a hug. Tara was next to give her a hug. "It really means a lot that you helped with all this, Tara."

"Of course," Tara said. The four of them talked a little while longer before Jax and Tara left to get Abel from Nita. Another hour went by and Kozik was still dancing with Charlie's mother. They were the only people on the dance floor. It made Charlie feel some mixed emotions. She was glad that her mother seemed to be having fun but she was sad that her father wasn't a part of it. They were together for more than thirty years and it was all coming to an end. She felt partly to blame.

"What's the face for?" Gemma asked, startling Charlie. She had been lost in her own thoughts about her parents since Jason followed Happy down to his motorcycle. "You aren't supposed to be regretting it yet."

"You know I'm not," Charlie laughed. Gemma sat down and waited. "I'm just worried about my mom. She filed for divorce after thirty four years."

"It looks like she knows how to have fun, Charlie. Are you sure you aren't worried about something else?" Gemma prodded. Charlie sighed. "You're a little old to think it's your fault."

"Yeah, well, I did just get kicked out of my family by her estranged husband." Charlie shrugged and looked over at Gemma. "If she's been unhappy then why not divorce him sooner?"

"You can get so used to something that even when it's bad, the routine feels safer than breaking it. She's still got a lot of good years ahead of her. Don't you worry about what small part you might play in her finally pulling the trigger. If she's happy, that's all that matters. Besides, you've got your own daughter to worry about." Gemma pointed to Charlie's stomach with a smile. "You know there's a bet going on about the gender, right?"

"Yes. I know. It's ridiculous," Charlie grumbled. Happy had told her about the betting pool going on. Kozik decided it would be fun to say she was going to have twins, one boy and one girl. Happy quickly shot that idea down. "I thought about not finding out the gender until they're born, just to be difficult."

"Oh please, you want to know as soon as possible. I've seen the paint chip books on your coffee table." Gemma stood up as Charlie's mother walked over. She looked happily exhausted from all of her dancing with Kozik and Tig. "It was nice meeting you, Rose. Your daughter is one of my favorites."

"Mine too," Rose chuckled. Charlie's cheeks blushed as Gemma waved goodbye. "I haven't had this much fun in years. Your friends are certainly handsome and great dancers."

"They're something," Charlie laughed, noticing Kozik and Tig bickering several yards away. "I'm glad you're here, Mom."

"Me to," she said, patting Charlie's hand. "I'm sorry your father wouldn't come with me. I hope you didn't mind Jason walking you down the aisle."

"Don't apologize for him. You wouldn't have had any fun if he was here." Charlie noticed Jason and Happy walking back up the hill. "When are you going back?"

"Oh, well, I'm not. Jason invited me to visit for a little while." Rose sounded nervous and Charlie knew she was avoiding telling her about the divorce. "You were a beautiful bride, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Mom. You're welcome to stay in our guest room tonight. I don't want you to worry about traveling so late," Charlie said as Happy stopped behind her. He kissed the top of her head.

"No offense but I don't want to stay with you on your wedding night, Charlie," Jason teased her. She lifted her middle finger towards him but was quickly fussed at by her mother. Jason smirked proudly. "Mom, are you ready to get on the road? I'm sorry but I've got a PT test early in the morning."

"Yes, that's fine. My dogs are going to be barking after all this dancing," Rose giggled. She stood up and gave Happy a hug. "Take care of our girl, Happy."

"Always," he promised.

* * *

Charlie pulled her hooded sweatshirt on and sat on the couch with a cup of tea. Happy answered the front door and let Jax and Tara inside. It was early for any of them to be awake but Jax was eager to talk to them. Charlie offered them tea or coffee but they both declined. She held her cup, hoping to warm her hands up.

"Have you talked to your dad?" Jax asked Charlie as he sat down in the recliner. She shook her head and took a sip of tea. Happy sat down next to her and looked over at his VP. "I got a call from the club lawyer yesterday. The district attorney has knocked the charges down. They're only charging us with trespassing and harassment."

"What?" Happy and Charlie said at the same time. Jax nodded and leaned back in the chair. Charlie shook her head slowly, wondering why her father would pull strings with the DA for the club. He had made it pretty clear that he wanted nothing to do with her, Happy or the club.

"There's no one else that would have the balls or power to push the DA into doing that," Jax said. "Clay is going to have questions."

"Yeah, I hear you," Happy groaned. Charlie glanced over at him nervously. "It's fine. I'll talk to him tomorrow. He can't be too pissed with those charges."

"Don't be too sure. He's always got something up his sleeve," Jax said, "Knowing him he probably wanted us inside for some new business deal or some shit."

"Doesn't matter," Happy said. "The club could have been crushed with that many members inside for years. He might be pissed that he didn't know about her father but the outcome benefits everyone."

"I'm not arguing, brother. I'll be out before my kid is crawling," Jax said with a smile towards Tara.

"Aw, congratulations! Why didn't you tell me?" Charlie asked. Tara blushed a little, explaining that she didn't want to be a distraction with everything going on. "That's silly! How far along are you?"

"Eight weeks," Tara said. Charlie clapped happily with a little laugh. "Thank you, Charlie. Without you the baby would barely know Jax until it was in elementary school."

"I really didn't do anything. After our visit I thought he would have gotten more charges added if anything," Charlie admitted. She started worrying about what Jax had said. Clay was going to have questions. She thought back to what had happened when Clay thought Opie had turned rat. Would he react the same way since Happy had kept information from him?

"Hey, Charlie, breathe." Tara hurried over and took the tea cup as Charlie struggled to breathe. It felt like someone was squeezing all of the air out of her chest. "Look at me. Take a deep breath like you taught me for child's pose. Remember? Deep breath in."

Charlie struggled but managed to take a chest filling breath as her head started spinning. After the first breath, she took another. Tara continued to coach her through breathing for several minutes. Happy had started pacing until Jax drug him outside for a smoke, promising him Tara was going to take care of Charlie.

"I don't want him," Charlie took another breath, "to get hurt for keeping my secret."

"Charlie, no. No, Happy is going to be okay. Clay might be angry but you both did the right thing, okay? Jax has his back," Tara said, stroking Charlie's back. Charlie shook her head but didn't say anything else. "No one is ever going to get between Happy, you and your baby. They don't call him Killah for nothing, okay? He'll be fine."

"I'll talk to you later, brother," Happy said, hugging Jax. He thanked Tara for helping Charlie and let them see theirselves out. He scooped Charlie up off the couch and carried her back to their bedroom. "Be quiet and cuddle, girl. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

**A/N: **This is a little shorter than my usual chapters for this story but I still hope you liked it. Please review and let me know.


	13. Chapter 13

Charlie sat at the closest picnic table to the clubhouse door. When Happy, Clay and Jax closed the double doors, Charlie's anxiety started ramping up. She waited inside for a few minutes before feeling an overwhelming need for fresh air. It felt as if she had been waiting for hours but her watch showed the meeting had started less than twenty minutes ago. Her hand gravitated to her stomach and she started rubbing it gently. Thinking about the baby and focusing on her ever growing baby bump was the distraction she needed.

"Can I help you?" Charlie stood up and approached the two men that had pulled a dark sedan onto the middle of the parking lot. She watched another sedan pull in and park behind the first.

"You're just the person I was looking for." Zobelle walked around the front of the car and stopped in front of Charlie. "What did you blackmail your father with?"

"Excuse me?" Charlie asked, glaring at the man through the dark lenses of her sunglasses. His lips curled upwards before he leaned in closer.

"You just made it to the top of my list," he whispered. Charlie heard the clubhouse door swing open. "That baby is going to grow up a prison orphan."

Happy pulled Charlie back and stood toe to toe with Zobelle. His shoulders were visibly rising and falling as he struggled to control his rage. Zobelle smiled, obviously trying to push Happy into doing something stupid. Charlie tried to walk back towards her husband's side but large hands wrapped around her wrist. She tried to pull away before she realized it was Jax. He shook his head.

"Leave my wife alone." Happy growled. Zobelle looked over at Charlie and shook his head with a sad smile.

"It is always a shame when innocent women are harmed," Zobelle sighed. Happy's hand flew to his gun as three, black SUV's flew onto the lot. Everyone froze as several heavily armed FBI agents jumped out. Happy stepped back as one agent slammed Zobelle's chest onto the hood of the sedan. Charlie rushed to Happy, terrified that he was going to be taken away from her. The agents continued to arrest Zobelle's men. They ignored everyone else.

"What is this? Unhand me!" Zobelle yelled as an agent shoved him towards an SUV. The agent pulled Zobelle's arms up, forcing him to bend forward and comply.

"You're under arrest for racketeering and blackmail. You have the right to remain silent," the agent continued with the rest of Zobelle's rights. A man in a black T-shirt and jeans exited the furthest SUV and approached the club members that had gathered to watch the show.

"I've got to send a tow truck for these sedans. Asset seizure or I would leave them here for you," the man said, looking around for anyone to acknowledge what he'd said. Clay stepped forward. "I apologize for doing this here. Tactically it made sense. No where for them to run."

"No problem," Clay laughed. Charlie bit her bottom lip as the agent glanced in her direction. She recognized him but couldn't remember his name. There was little doubt that her father had a hand in Zobelle's arrest. The man in front of Clay had visited Charlie's family on several occasions before her father retired. She looked away, hoping he wouldn't acknowledge her.

Everyone watched and applauded as the SUVs drove away with Zobelle and his crew. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief as she rubbed her stomach. Happy walked back over to Clay and they shared a few words before he returned to Charlie. She looked up at him, hoping everything was settled. He nodded and rubbed her lower back.

"We're good, baby." Happy kissed the top of her head and whispered softly. "I love you, Charlie."

* * *

Happy stood up as another contraction hit. Charlie squeezed her eyes closed and tried not to yell out. She had been in labor for almost two hours and the doctors told her it wasn't going to end as soon as she'd like. Her contractions were still about ten minutes apart but she was in a lot of pain. Happy let her squeeze his hand until it passed. Her face was red and sweaty.

"Please don't ask me for another child," Charlie panted. Happy shook his head, pressing his lips to her forehead. After her second trimester, things had gotten difficult. The doctor put Charlie on strict bedrest and her blood pressure was dangerously high. She was fighting for a natural birth, begging them not to do a c-section. "Have you talked to my mom?"

"She's still a few hours out, baby." Happy wished he could give her better news. She took a deep, shaky breath. The doctor walked inside the room and started examining Charlie. She didn't look pleased with what she saw. "Any change?"

"Barely. Charlie, your blood pressure is elevating and you aren't dilating much. I know you wanted a natural birth but you need to accept that it may not happen. You can't think about the scar or anything else but your health and your daughter's health. Okay?" The doctor asked, peeling off her gloves. Charlie's bottom lip started shaking but she nodded. "I would feel a lot better about getting you back there before it's an emergency. Can I tell them to prep the room?"

"Do it," Happy spoke up as Charlie started to cry. She was nodding as the doctor left the room. "Hey, look at me. I don't care about a scar or how our kid comes out of you, alright? I just need both of my girls healthy and happy."

Charlie sobbed through another contraction before the nurses came to take them back for the c-section. Happy held her hand the whole time, refusing to let go until he had to put on a surgical gown and gloves. He was looking forward to meeting his daughter but more importantly he was looking forward to knowing Charlie was safe. Everything he'd read about her condition scared him. He had made himself physically sick with worry one night.

"Nice dress," Charlie said weakly as Happy walked into the room. He smirked and sat down on the stool they had placed near the head of the table. There was a large, blue sheet between them and her stomach. "If anything happens to me, you have to promise to take care of our baby."

"Nothing is going to happen to you," Happy said, pushing her hair out of her face. She bit her bottom lip.

"I'm scared, Happy." Tears escaped her eyes as the doctors started the procedure. Happy refused to admit it but he was scared to. He wanted to throw up. He refused to show it though. He wasn't the one on the operating table. She needed him to be strong. Her eyes widened as loud cries filled the room. Happy looked up and saw the doctor holding his daughter. She was still covered in blood but he already knew she was perfect, just like her mother. "Hap?"

"She's perfect, Charlie." The doctor carefully handed the baby over after wiping her off a little. She had round, full cheeks, light eyes and dark hair. Charlie smiled brightly and gently touched her daughter's hand. "Hey, Ana. You're beautiful just like your ma, baby."

"Mr. Lowman, you need to step out now," the doctor said. Happy glared at her. "We need to work quickly, okay?"

"It's okay, Happy. I'll see you in a few minutes." Charlie smiled up at him and Ana. He was apprehensive about leaving her but he didn't have a choice. A nurse took Ana from his arms, swearing that he could have her back shortly. Just like that, he was out in the hallway without his wife or daughter. A nurse led him back to Charlie's room, assuring him they were taking care of his family.

"Hey, brother. What happened?" Kozik asked, watching Happy slam his fist into the solid wood door again. "Are they okay?"

"Ana is good. They made me leave Charlie. I don't know what's going on." Happy hit the door again. "I don't fucking know."

"Breathe, Hap. They did a c-section?" Kozik asked, risking everything by pulling his brother away from the door. His knuckles were red and one more hit away from breaking or at least bleeding. "It's normal, bro. They'll put her back together and shit. That's all. No big deal."

"Yeah?" Happy asked, choosing to believe his brother's words despite everything he had learned about eclampsia over the past three months. Kozik laughed and patted his shoulder with a nod. Happy nodded and sat down. "Ana is perfect, man. She looks like Charlie with darker skin and hair."

"Just remember you said she's perfect when you got guys breaking your door down to date her in a few years." Kozik teased. Happy's eyes narrowed.

"Fuck that. She's not dating until I'm dead." He stood up as Tara walked in. She smiled at Happy and handed Ana over. He smiled down at his daughter. "How's Charlie?"

"The doctor's are having some trouble with her blood pressure but she was doing better when I left." Tara said. Happy felt his stomach twist into a knot. "I'm going back there, Hap. I'll make sure she's okay. Don't let anyone else hold that baby."

"I'm not," he growled. Since Charlie couldn't hold her yet, he wasn't going to let anyone else touch her. "Hey, princess. You done crying now?"

A nurse came in several minutes later and checked on Ana. She instructed Happy to take his shirt off for some skin to skin time with the baby. Kozik was snickering in the corner as the nurse held Ana and Happy took his cut and shirt off. The nurse's eyes were as big as saucers. Ana stopped crying as soon as Happy held her again. He ignored the nurse and sat down, cradling the baby against his chest. Kozik offered to leave but Happy shook his head. He didn't want to be alone.

"Hey," Tara said quietly. Ana was sleeping against Happy's bare chest and Kozik was sitting across the room, nearly asleep himself. The surgery had taken almost two hours. "Charlie is out of surgery. She's doing well. The doctor wants her to stay for a few days of observation but that's normal for eclampsia."

"Can I see her?" Happy asked. Tara nodded and took Ana so he could put his shirt and cut back on. Ana woke up and started fussing. Once again, she settled down as soon as Happy held her. Tara chuckled and helped him wrap her in a blanket.

"She's already spoiled, isn't she?" Tara asked as she led Happy to the recovery room. He nodded and gently rubbed Ana's back. "Charlie, there's someone here to see you."

"Happy," Charlie smiled as he carried Ana over. He carefully placed their baby into her arms, praying she wouldn't start crying. Her eyes opened and looked up at Charlie but she didn't make a sound. "She has your lips."

"Yeah, I noticed." As Happy's stress melted away, so did all of his energy. "You scared me, Charlie."

"I scared me to," Charlie said, cradling Ana closely.

* * *

Charlie frowned as her mother tried to quiet Ana down. She was still sore from the c-section but she was tired of being stuck in the bed or on the couch. Rose had agreed to watch the baby as Charlie made herself something to eat but Ana wasn't having it. She was a wonderful baby for Charlie and Happy but she cried loudly when other people held her. Charlie returned to the couch and reached out for her daughter.

"She has to get used to other people holding her, Charlie. You can't keep babying her," Rose said softly. She handed the baby back to Charlie and stood up. The new parents were still adjusting to have a baby in the house and Rose had offered to stay in Charming for a few weeks. Charlie was very thankful since her body seemed to be having a hard time recovering from the c-section. The only issue Charlie took with her mother being there was their differing views on parenting.

"She is a baby, Mom. Can you please make me a sandwich? I'm starving." Charlie sighed. Rose nodded and walked into the kitchen. Charlie glanced over at the clock and realized it was almost time for Ana to eat. She pulled her T-shirt up and guided Ana to her breast. Ana latched on quickly.

"You were hungry to, huh?" Charlie looked towards the door as she heard a motorcycle approaching. Ana didn't seem bothered by the loud, rumbling motor. It worried Happy at first. He thought she might have some difficulty hearing. The doctors had assured them she could both see and hear perfectly fine. She just didn't mind motorcycles. Charlie continued feeding her as the front door opened.

"Fuck. I mean, sorry." Kozik turned around quickly. Charlie laughed and moved a blanket to cover her chest a little more. Happy walked inside and went straight to the couch to give Charlie a kiss. "Sorry, Charlie."

"Kozik, it's fine. They're just boobs," Charlie laughed. Rose walked back into the living room and handed Charlie a sandwich. "Thanks, mom. Happy do you mind holding her for a minute so I can eat?"

"Come here baby girl," Happy said. He worked on burping Ana as Charlie pulled her shirt back down and started eating. Kozik returned from washing his hands and finally relaxed as he sat down on the loveseat across from Charlie. Happy planted a kiss in Ana's hair. "Have you been good?"

"She still doesn't want Mom holding her," Charlie said after swallowing her first bite. It was just a ham sandwich on white bread but it was delicious. "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm done for the day and he wanted to see his goddaughter." Happy cleaned Ana's mouth after her burp, then carefully handed her to Kozik. Ana immediately started whining. Charlie chewed on her sandwich and watched her daughter start to settle down a little as Kozik smiled proudly. Happy must have noticed the same thing. "It's probably the leather."

"I guess you'll need a leather vest, Mom." Charlie smiled over at her mother who was answering her cellphone. She tensed as her mother's hand covered her mouth and tears filled her eyes. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Your...your father," Rose stammered. Charlie sat her sandwich down nervously. She had a feeling that she knew what her mother was going to say. "His assistant found him in the dining room. He...he passed away."

Charlie winced as she forced herself off the couch. Her mother's shoulders shook with quiet sobs as Charlie walked over. She squeezed herself into the recliner with her and hugged her mother tightly. Their divorce had been final for almost six months but Charlie knew her mother still cared about him. She watched Kozik hand her daughter back to Happy and mouth a quiet 'I'm sorry' to Charlie. She nodded before he turned and quietly left their home.

"I'm going to put her down," Happy said. Charlie nodded as her mother's tears started to slow down.

"Patrick said he had been sick. He never told me. He never said a word about it." Rose cried. "I should have known. I was his wife and I didn't know he was sick. I should have been there for him."

"Mom, this isn't your fault. Sick or not. You didn't do this. He pushed us all away. Maybe he thought it would be easier this way," Charlie pondered. Rose shook her head a little but didn't argue. "I'm sorry, Mom."

Charlie was more upset about her father's death than she thought she would be. Despite the years of having a strained relationship, she still cared about him. He was her father. There were plenty of bad memories she had dwelled on for the past few years but there was also over two decades of good memories. She regretted never getting around to telling him thank you for helping the club. She had plenty of time between Zobelle's arrest and Ana's birth but she always found a reason not to call him. When he didn't answer the day after Ana's birth, Charlie had just left him a voicemail telling him his granddaughter was born. He never returned the call.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Happy asked as Charlie climbed into the bed. Her body was sore and tired from all the extra moving and twisting. It made her wonder if she would ever get to do yoga again. Ana was sleeping on Happy's chest and barely stirred as Charlie curled up against his side.

"Not tonight," Charlie yawned. She gently stroked Ana's back and watched her sleep. Happy carefully wrapped his arm around Charlie and held her close. "Thank you for being such a good father to her, Hap."

"You don't have to thank me. Go to sleep, baby. I got her." Happy liked to keep Ana out of the bassinet as much as possible. Charlie laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She hoped he couldn't feel the silent tears that finally started falling over her cheeks.

**A/N-**Hi all! I'm hoping you enjoyed this chapter! I know there were some time jumps but we may be coming to the end of this story soon. Thank you all for your continued support! Please check out my other stories as well: Burning Desire and Searching for Forever


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